Bella's Choice
by emmettroselover
Summary: Sequel to Consequences Part IV: Italy. Bella and Edward's decision to be together forever has brought with it some amazing consequences. However, with the issue of Charlie and Sue's mortality looming, Bella and Renesmee fear they may have to deal with one consequence of immortality that neither are truly prepared for.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I cannot believe how fast time has passed! It is already December and since 2013 is coming to an end, I figured why not end it with another addition to The Choice Series? This one was definitely one of those that I did not plan on writing, but had a blast with, so I hope you enjoy it. Also, I just started a twitter for The Choice Series, so for all you twitter lovers out there, you can now follow me at TheChoiceSeries. I hope everyone that celebrates had a great Thanksgiving and here is Bella's Choice!

Chapter 1

There was an eerie calm deep within the Olympic Forest in the middle of the night. The clouds blanketed the sky and fog hovered over the forest floor. It had been two weeks since the Cullens, Denalis, and Blacks returned from their Italian vacation and the wintery conditions of Washington in January were a stark contrast to Isola Marcime. Zach let out a growl of frustration as he began to pout and his uncle chuckled at his impatience.

"It has been five minutes. You really cannot stand still for that long," asked Jasper in amusement and Zach huffed.

"It isn't the standing still part. It is having my eyes closed and standing in the middle of the forest when I could actually be having fun," whined Zach.

"I thought you were excited about training with me."

"I thought training with you would be fun." Jasper chuckled again.

"I am trying to teach you how to rely on your other senses instead of just your ability. You need to learn how to focus and channel your energy into your other senses. The reason I suggested this in the first place is because you are fifteen years old. You are becoming a man." Zach opened his eyes and turned to face his uncle with a frown.

"Uncle Jasper, I have been full grown since I was five years old."

"Physically, but now you are reaching a level of maturity that proves you are ready to develop on a different level. As vampires, we are frozen in time physically, but that does not mean we cannot grow mentally and emotionally. I saw the way you interacted with other vampires in Italy, especially the females, which your mother is still not enthused over by the way. It has just made me realize that you are not simply my little nephew anymore. You are becoming a man and it is my duty as your uncle to make sure you are embracing every part of your vampire nature. Now, close your eyes."

"But I want to go play baseball," whined Zach.

"Maybe I am overestimating your maturity."

"Maybe this is just overkill."

"Nope, it is necessary, but since you refuse to not peek, you must wear this," said Jasper as he removed the scarf from his neck and placed it around Zach's eyes.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, now stop talking. Listen, nephew. Listen to what is happening around you. Focus on your other senses. Hear the forest, smell the air until you can taste it, and feel the moisture of the fog around us," urged Jasper. Zach took in a deep breath and did as he was told. The moisture from the fog surrounding them collected onto his skin. The pungent, sweet aroma of the evergreens filled his nose and he let the sounds of the forest consume him.

"Okay, I am using my other senses, but now what?" Jasper did not respond, which made Zach frown.

"Uncle Jasper," he called and the question echoed around the forest. Zach began to take off the scarf when he heard the abrupt pitter patter of feet rushing toward him. He yanked off the scarf and spun around just in time to see his uncle in midair, lunging toward him.

"Whoa," shrieked Zach in surprise, but his shriek turned into laughter as his force field pulsed through him in time to knock Jasper back. Zach pumped his fist as his uncle crashed into the forest floor with a loud thud.

"Really Uncle Jasper, this whole thing was a ruse so you could finally beat me?" Jasper smirked as he dusted himself off.

"No, it was a test to see if you could focus long enough on your other abilities. Vampires can be quite stealthy. What happens if you ever had to face an opponent like Zafrina that could blind you or Alexander, someone that could sneak up on you instantly?"

"Why are you so worried about this? I am awesome. I have proven that I can kick plenty of butt, so why am I out here when a massive storm is about to roll through and make for perfect baseball weather?"

"It isn't about proving anything….."

"Yes, it is. I always have to prove myself. I am the youngest, the baby of the family. I get lectured anytime I go pick up Josh. I constantly have to refrain from using my power even though everyone else in this family can use theirs freely."

"Not Keegan," reminded Jasper, but Zach waved him off.

"He is a firestarter. The guy could potentially destroy entire regions with his power. That is different. Uncle Jasper, I don't need all this training to prove my ability or who I am. I am Zach McCarty Cullen. I belong to the coolest family. My best friend is the most powerful wolf of all time and I just so happen to be a pretty powerful vampire if I do say so myself. Maybe you should put a little more faith in me and spend a little less time trying to find flaws in my power."

"It isn't about not having faith in you."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it is about keeping you safe," shouted Jasper in frustration and Zach was surprised by his admission.

"Uncle Jasper, I am safe. Wait, did Aunt Alice see something? Does my mom know? She would totally kick the butt of anyone that came close to me even before I had the chance so…."

"No, it isn't that," laughed Jasper.

"Then what is going on? Why are we here?" Jasper took in a shaky breath as he stepped closer to his nephew.

"As I am sure you have noticed from all the stories of my past, coming to this family was not an easy transition for me. It took me longer than I ever imagined it would to become acclimated to the environment of a family setting and even longer to begin to trust everyone. I was trained to not trust other vampires, ever, but our family does not work that way. I never imagined when I was first turned that I would have so much and be surrounded by people that I not only trust, but love. You are my nephew, Zach, and even though I know you can take care of yourself I am extremely protective of you," confessed Jasper and Zach smiled slyly at him.

"Even as protective as my mom?" Jasper scoffed.

"No, that is impossible," teased Jasper as he ruffled the curls of Zach's hair.

"That's true," chuckled Zach.

"However, that does not mean I do not believe it is my duty to make sure you are always prepared. We come from a very powerful family, but what our family also shows us is that powerful beings are out there, some we may not even know of, and it is my job to make sure you can always protect yourself."

"So you blindfolded me and tried to sneak attack me? I will always be able to use my ability and stop you."

"Do not get cocky, nephew. That is what I am trying to teach you. A good warrior never underestimates his opponents or the circumstances he may find himself in. The only way you have used your force field is if you can see what is coming, but if you could harness your other senses so that they can help guide you, maybe you can tap into your power even more."

"Wait, so you think I may be even more powerful than I already am?" Jasper pondered the question for a moment as he began to circle Zach.

"Eleazar believes that your power will develop as you get older. It is the pattern we have all seen with our abilities. There is a time when I could not control the way others' emotions affected me. Your Aunt Alice can now tap into her visions easier and has more control than she did when she was first turned. Your Aunt Bella had to train in order to reach her potential as a shield and she still finds new ways to use her power. It is about learning control, nephew. That is what I am trying to teach you because even though you have never faced an opponent that you could not conquer, we exist in a world full of the unknown. Never get too cocky. Never underestimate anyone. Oh, and never turn your back on your opponent." Before Zach could question his advice, Jasper gave him a swift leg sweep, knocking Zach on his back. Jasper laughed as his nephew began to pout.

"Hey, that was cheating," shouted Zach and Jasper helped him up.

"Yes, it was, but I still managed to catch you off guard."

"You are my uncle. I am supposed to be able to have my guard down around you."

"Point taken, now, since you have shown great patience, I suppose we could go find the others and get ready for the baseball game."

"Cool! I have to go see J first though. He got in trouble at school and I am pretty sure this is the perfect time to tease him about it."

"Well go have fun while you can. Your Aunt Alice warned me that the mood may be somber later on." Zach frowned in confusion, but could tell by his uncle's look that he should leave it at that. He gave his uncle a quick hug in thanks before heading in the direction of La Push.

Josh sat down in one of the lounge chairs on the front porch of his house as he tried to focus on the book in front of him. He knew he did not want to be inside his house at the moment, but was also not allowed to leave the premises anytime soon, according to his mother. He could hear the voices inside, but tried to drown them out, refusing to acknowledge the subject matter they spoke of.

"Charlie, is this really necessary," asked Edward from inside the house as he joined the rest of the adults at the table. Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya sat beside Jacob and Leah as Charlie and Sue stood in front of them at the kitchen table.

"What is the point of putting it off any longer? This year, I will be seventy eight years old and Sue will be….."

"Younger than that," interrupted Sue. Charlie kissed her and smiled.

"Right, so it is time to talk about the inevitable," announced Charlie as he placed a folder on the table. Edward glanced at his mate and daughter.

"Charlie, maybe this isn't the best time," advised Edward.

"There is never a good time for something like this. We asked for everyone to meet us here because we have written our wills," revealed Charlie.

"What," shrieked Renesmee and Seth, but Bella, Leah, and Jacob simply sighed.

"I guess we should have seen this coming," admitted Leah and Sue smiled comfortingly at her daughter.

"We don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, but things happen. We want to be prepared and we have thought about this since Billy passed away," explained Sue.

"We weren't prepared when my dad passed and I wish we would have been. Rachel and Rebecca weren't exactly fond of going through his things and deciding how to divide it up. It wasn't the best experience for me either," said Jacob.

"Sue and I know that it is going to be a hard time for all of you and we just want to make it as painless as possible," said Charlie and Seth gulped.

"Is one of you sick or something? Is something wrong," asked Seth. Sue walked over to him and kissed his forehead.

"No sweetheart, nothing is wrong. We just aren't as young as we used to be and it is our responsibility to make sure our loved ones are taken care of when we are gone," explained Sue. Bella glanced nervously at her daughter, sensing her angst. Nahuel sensed it from his mate as well and tried to wrap his arm around her, but she shrugged it off.

"This is ridiculously morbid. If you two are fine, then why are we even talking about this," argued Renesmee.

"Because it is important for us to talk about," defended Charlie. Renesmee jumped up and shook her head as she walked out.

"I'm not listening to this," she called over her shoulder before storming out of the house. Edward smiled apologetically at Charlie and Sue.

"She is just upset about what this means," said Edward and Charlie sighed.

"I know. She is my granddaughter after all. We tend not to do well with heavy stuff like this. Sue and I want everyone here to know that this does not mean we plan on leaving any of you anytime soon. It is just something we need to discuss." The others solemnly nodded and Nahuel stood up along with Kaya.

"I will go check on Renesmee," said Nahuel.

"I will go with him. This is a family matter," added Kaya, but Seth quickly grabbed her hand.

"You are family and I need you here. Please stay," said Seth and Kaya took in a shaky breath as she sat back down. She was not used to dealing with death. It made her uncomfortable, but she would endure it if it meant being there for her mate.

Josh waved awkwardly at Renesmee as she stormed onto the porch. She took in a deep breath of fresh air to calm her nerves and gave a wave back.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," said Renesmee and Josh shrugged.

"You aren't. I'm just hiding out here instead of being in there dealing with all of that."

"At least you were smart enough to get out of dodge in the first place."

"I have homework anyways. I am already on my mom's list and I don't need to add failing a presentation."

"What's the presentation about," she asked as she sat down beside him.

"Hamlet," he grumbled.

"One of Shakespeare's great tragedies, I guess that is fitting for the night."

"Yea, I mean I get why grandma and Charlie want to plan it all. It doesn't mean I want to talk about it though."

"Exactly, so how about I help you with your homework instead," she suggested as Nahuel leaned against the railing of the porch to join them. He gave his mate a smile, letting her know he was there if she needed him.

"Well, I have to memorize and recite this soliloquy in front of the entire class, so maybe you two can be my first audience," explained Josh and the two of them nodded as he stood up. He cleared his throat dramatically, getting a laugh out of them before he began.

"To be, or not to be, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles…and by opposing, end them. To die…..to sleep….no more and….."

"I need to go hunt," announced Renesmee before darting off toward the forest and Josh smiled sheepishly.

"Am I that bad," he asked and Nahuel chuckled.

"Of course not, you were fine. She is just having a hard time coping right now and a speech about Hamlet pondering death doesn't help. You are doing great," assured Nahuel.

"I don't know. He sounded pretty cheesy to me," said Zach as he walked onto the porch and Josh threw the book at him. Zach caught it with ease and began sifting through it as Nahuel hopped from the porch.

"I am going to check on my mate. You two stay out of trouble. From what I hear, Josh cannot afford to get into anymore," warned Nahuel before racing after his mate. Zach rolled his eyes as he and Josh sat down on the steps of the porch.

"Can you believe him telling us to stay out of trouble? I swear everyone around here treats us like babies," said Zach.

"Yea, I know. It is so annoying. They act like we are always in trouble," agreed Josh. Zach handed him the book and eyed his friend as Josh read over the soliloquy again.

"So, what did you do this time," asked Zach and Josh huffed.

"It wasn't even a big deal. So what if I skipped a couple of classes today."

"How many are a couple?"

"All of them."

"J, seriously," shrieked Zach and Josh shushed him.

"Calm down, people skip all the time, but you wouldn't know that since you never have to go to school. You don't know what it is like constantly being surrounded by humans, Z. I wish my parents would just let me stop going. I hate school."

"Come on, it can't be that bad. My parents repeated the process a gazillion times."

"Your parents wanted to feel normal, but I don't want that. I don't want to be normal. That is boring and I actually like my life even though my parents act like going to Forks High School is going to make me a normal kid. I am a wolf. The rules of a normal teenage life do not apply to me and yet here I am, reading Shakespeare so I can recite it for a stupid class presentation tomorrow."

"What did you do when you skipped?"

"I just went for a run in the forest. I was just letting loose. I wish you could have been there though."

"Yea, that would have been fun. Too bad we couldn't have done that tonight instead of me having to train with my Uncle Jasper."

"Don't even try to act like you have actual problems. Oh poor Zach gets to go train in the forest with his uncle."

"It wasn't nearly as fun as it sounds. We didn't even wrestle!"

"Yea, but Seth told me the family is going to play baseball tonight since the storm is rolling in." Zach chuckled.

"Yea, that's going to be awesome."

"See!"

"Alright, you got me. My life is the best, but at least you are almost done. You have one more year left, J."

"I guess you are right. I better finish memorizing this stupid stuff, so I can ace my presentation tomorrow," grumbled Josh as he stood up to go inside.

"Hey, I am sure you are going to do fine. Maybe we can talk our parents into letting me pick you up tomorrow," suggested Zach. Suddenly, Rosalie and Emmett emerged from the forest.

"I will see what I can do, but your mom is pretty upset with you Joshua," warned Rosalie and Josh groaned.

"Yea, yea," he mumbled before marching into the house with a pout. Zach jogged over to his parents and Rosalie kissed his cheek. Emmett rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"This baseball game is going to be epic. Alice says the storm is going to last all night. Let the games begin," bellowed Emmett and Rosalie swatted at his shoulder as she shushed him.

"It is eight at night, Em. Be quiet. Besides, there is a pretty depressing conversation going on inside," she warned.

"Poor Charlie and Sue, it would suck to be human," said Emmett.

"They aren't the ones I am worried about. Come on let's go to the field Alice has chosen. The others will meet us there later," said Rosalie.

As the winter storm rolled into the region, Emmett and Zach were ecstatic, but the overall mood of the family was the opposite. Seth usually enjoyed being the umpire and making controversial calls just to keep the game interesting, but instead of joining in, he sat to the side, promising to cheer everyone on. He was not interested in being a part of the game after hearing about his mother and Charlie's will. Kaya sat beside him and stroked his hair as she tried to comfort her mate. Rosalie was concerned about not only Seth, but Renesmee and Bella as well. While Bella managed to keep on a brave face for the sake of her daughter, Renesmee refused to speak about it. She wanted to remain in denial for as long as possible. Edward truly felt helpless as he listened to his daughter's thoughts and even though Bella kept hers private, he knew his mate was struggling with the mortality of her father. He was relieved when he heard Garrett's boisterous laugh as the man leapt from a tree and into the clearing.

"I call first at bat," he announced as the rest of the Denali Coven emerged from the forest. He looked around the field at the Cullens and frowned. Edward groaned as he read Garrett's thoughts.

"Garrett, don't…." But before Edward could finish, Garrett spoke.

"What's with the sad faces, who died," he questioned and Renesmee smirked before rushing off into the forest and away from the field. Nahuel turned to follow her, but Bella stopped him.

"Let me try," she suggested and Nahuel hesitantly nodded. Bella kissed Edward and opened her mind to him.

_Don't worry. Stay here and try to have fun. I need to try to talk to her alone._

Edward gave a curt nod and grabbed a glove to join the game. Garrett yelped when Kate shocked him.

"What did I say," he asked in a pout and Kate rolled her eyes at him.

"Obviously something wrong if you upset Renesmee," said Kate.

"Is everything alright," asked Tanya and Carlisle smiled sympathetically at them.

"It isn't Garrett's fault. Charlie and Sue wanted to discuss their will tonight," explained Carlisle and all of the Denalis nodded their understanding. Eleazar clapped Carlisle on the back.

"Mortality can be quite disheartening," said Eleazar and Tanya rested her head on Benjamin's shoulder as sadness washed over her.

"Yes, but even vampires have to deal with loss," said Tanya. Her thoughts, along with Kate's, wandered off to their lost sister and Edward grimaced at the thoughts of Irina's demise. Jasper sent a wave of happiness to his family members as he smiled.

"Come on, the storm is here and it is time to play," encouraged Jasper and Emmett pumped his fist.

"Time to pick teams, I call first captain and my first pick is my baby boy," he bellowed, but Alice stomped her foot.

"You can't just call first captain or first pick and who says you get Zach," she challenged.

"He is my son."

"He is my nephew," she argued and Rosalie smirked.

"Well he is my son too and I call first captain and choose my baby boy," she said. Emmett guffawed as Alice began to argue with her sister. Carlisle stepped in between them.

"Now, now, can we actually start playing before we have the first disagreement," asked Carlisle and Zach wrapped an arm around him with a dimpled grin.

"I kind of like it. Alright, who else wants me on their team," he questioned as he flexed his muscles and the others laughed.

"That is your son, Em," giggled Rosalie.

"Damn right," cheered Emmett. Esme kissed her grandson's cheek.

"You can be on my team, my handsome grandson. I will be first captain and I pick Zach," she announced as she put a hat on him. Alice's jaw dropped and Rosalie shook her head with a smile.

"Nicely played mom," applauded Rosalie, but Alice was not as amused.

"Shouldn't you be upset? She just stole first captain and first pick," said Alice, but Rosalie shrugged. Carlisle chuckled.

"I am more upset that her first pick was not me, her own mate," he teased as Esme blew him a kiss. Alice gulped as she received a vision and Edward stiffened at her thoughts. She put her hand up to stop him from reacting and Rosalie frowned at them as Alice grabbed her hand.

"We will join the game later. Be right back Jazzy," called Alice and Rosalie eyed Edward curiously as she followed Alice away from the field. Jasper walked over to Edward, sensing his anxiety.

"What is it," he asked his brother and Edward stared down at the ground in defeat.

"I just feel helpless. There is nothing I can say to make this better for them. Maybe Alice can figure out a way. I am giving her ten minutes and then I am going after them as well," stated Edward and Jasper gave a sympathetic smile, realizing the vision was about Bella and Renesmee.

Bella winced as she saw her daughter sitting on a fallen log and sobbing into her hands. She joined her on the log and wrapped her arms around Renesmee, stroking her hair as Renesmee rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

"It just isn't fair. I don't want grandpa or Sue to die," she sobbed.

"I know, sweetheart. I do not want that as well, but that is why we should spend as much time with them as we can. I hate that this is happening, but your grandfather is right. The will is just something they need to have. It is not sealing their fate. No one is going to die anytime soon, Renesmee."

"I just hate this."

"I do too. It is the reason why I never pushed for you and my mother to become close," confessed Bella.

"Is that why we don't spend time with her?" Bella giggled.

"Well, that is mainly her choice. You must understand that your grandmother loves you very much, but she is flighty. She gets lost in her own whims and acts impulsively. I knew that it would be hard to pin her down long enough for you to gain a relationship like the one you have with my dad, so I just accepted that. I always knew it would be hard enough losing a grandparent that you are close with, so I didn't want to force the issue with my mother."

"At least she sends us postcards and letters."

"Yes, she is very good at that. She seems to be enjoying life in Costa Rica right now." Renesmee sighed.

"It will be hard when she is gone too, but you are right. It will be nothing like losing grandpa. How am I supposed to just accept that he could die soon? I don't know how Jake did it and that was his dad. I don't want to lose him, mom. I don't think I can," cried Renesmee and Bella did as well as she held her daughter. They heard footsteps in the distance and were surprised when Rosalie and Alice appeared instead of Edward.

"We figured you could use some company," explained Alice as she sat down beside Bella and Rosalie smirked.

"She figured. I was forced," teased Rosalie, getting a giggle out of Renesmee in the process.

"Semantics," said Alice. Rosalie slipped her hand into Renesmee's and sat down beside her.

"Are you okay," she asked and Renesmee shrugged.

"To be honest, I don't know how I am supposed to be okay."

"It will not be easy, but you will cope and we will be here to help you every step of the way," assured Rosalie and Renesmee sighed.

"Good because I am going to need you."

"You are stuck with us," giggled Alice as she jumped on Renesmee, which made her laugh. Rosalie began showering her with kisses and Bella smiled as she watched her sisters cheer up her daughter.

"Come on, your mate is worried about you. Plus, you and I are on Tanya's team. She called dibs on second captain. She managed to keep you and Nahuel together as well," assured Alice and Renesmee smiled.

"Did we get Uncle Em or Zach," she asked and Alice pouted.

"No, but we did get my Jazzy. You know he can handle curve balls like no other. Come on I will race you back. Last one there has to pitch against Zach."

"But he cheats," whined Renesmee as she chased her Aunt Alice back toward the baseball field. Bella sighed in relief and nudged Rosalie.

"Thanks for helping to distract her. She is taking this pretty hard."

"I know she is and so are you. You may be able to fool your daughter, but you can't fool me. How are you holding up?" Bella looked up at the stormy sky and shrugged.

"It is odd the things you think about when you think about death. It is really blurry, but I keep thinking about our first real conversation we had."

"You mean the one where I told you that if we had happy endings, we'd all be under gravestones now?"

"That's the one." Rosalie giggled.

"Yea we didn't exactly get off on the right foot," admitted Rosalie.

"I was young and stubborn."

"And I was jealous and bitter. I was wrong, Bella." Bella's jaw dropped.

"Wait, did this just happen? Did you just admit that you were wrong?"

"Do not let it go to your head and start gloating. After all, it happens so rarely."

"Which is why I need to gloat," laughed Bella.

"You made the right decision for you and that is what matters. Bella, this existence is not for everyone and we have seen that. However, while I will never understand why I had to lose my human life the way that I did, I gained so much more than I could have ever imagined. When I was blessed with Zach, I realized that nothing can ever compare to this existence because I have my family and I never should have beseeched you to make your life choices based on my experiences."

"So why do I feel so horrible now that I am dealing with the consequences?"

"Because sometimes even the best choice has unfortunate consequences and we have to deal with them, but you and Renesmee will never have to deal with losing Charlie, Sue, or even your mother on your own. I just want you to know that." Bella pulled her in for a hug and smiled.

"Thanks Rose. You know, choosing anyone but Edward was never an option for me, but I never would have expected to have so many amazing people in my life because of it. In fact, I was pretty sure I would have to spend an eternity hiding from your glares." Rosalie's tinkling laughter echoed around them.

"Eternity is a very long time to glare, Bella. Even if I wouldn't have warmed up to you, I would have stopped glaring simply because it was a bad look on such a beautiful face," teased Rosalie.

"Yes, her vanity would have gotten the best of her," teased Edward as he approached and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"I know this is not coming from Mr. Sullen Cullen, himself. You spent many a day scowling and brooding, dear brother."

"You would know. I was usually scowling at you." Rosalie punched his shoulder as she stood up to leave and Edward winked at her.

"I better get back to the game. I am sure Emmett and Zach have cheated several times by now."

"We will be right there," assured Edward and Rosalie departed. Bella sighed happily as her mate engulfed her in his warm embrace.

"You lasted longer than I thought you would. I figured you would come after us right away."

"I was going to, but Alice assured me that she and Rose could cheer up Renesmee. I knew that was the case when I saw Alice skipping around Renesmee on their way back to the baseball field. I was surprised when Alice had the vision of Rose cheering you up though."

"The two of us have come a long way over the years. Wow, that was thirty six years ago. It is all so blurry, back then when Rosalie was not fond of me."

"It is funny how it works. Some of the most pivotal moments in our relationship were when you were a human and yet, I am sure it seems like a lifetime ago for you."

"I told Renesmee about my mother and why I thought it would be best to just let it be when it comes to her relationship with our daughter."

"Do you regret that now?"

"No because we are happy and so is she. If my mother ever wanted to come see us, I would be more than happy to make sure that she was able to, but she has her life and we have ours. She is happy getting a letter from me and seeing pictures of Renesmee. I am happy getting postcards from wherever she is living at the moment."

"You know when I read Charlie's thoughts, I was afraid that you and Renesmee wouldn't cope well with it."

"What was my dad thinking? Is he worried?"

"No, more like relieved because now that it is out there, he doesn't have to think about the will anymore. He isn't trying to be morbid. He and Sue remember what it was like for Jacob once Billy was gone and they want to make sure you are taken care of. It is all going to be okay, love."

"I know it is, so how about we go play baseball with our family," she suggested and he kissed her tenderly.

"Only if I can be on your team," he said with a crooked grin. They held hands as they made their way back toward their family and could hear the rambunctiousness the closer they got. The impact of the bat hitting the ball cracked through the air like thunder and Zafrina managed to scoop up and throw the ball before Garrett could round first base. He stayed put, but Zach cheered for his father to slide home. Zafrina threw it to home plate where Carmen was waiting. As soon as Carmen caught it, she went to step on the plate as she tagged Emmett, but missed the plate by a centimeter.

"Cheater, I saw that all the way from over here, Z," shouted Seth as he hopped up and Zach shushed him.

"You aren't even playing! You said you wanted to sit this one out. Go back over to your mate," said Zach. Alice shook her head.

"You aren't getting away with that one, nephew. You used your power to move the plate so your dad wouldn't be out," accused Alice.

"Did not, Carmen missed my dad by a mile!"

"Sure did baby boy," agreed Emmett.

"Rose," called Tanya, Zafrina, and Alice, but Rosalie simply hummed and took some practice swings.

"Not in this," she said in a sing song voice as she walked over to the plate to take her turn at bat.

"Of course you are going to say that since you are on their team," said Jasper and Rosalie quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I would stay out of it too, dear brother. Unless you want to tell me why you blindfolded my son and tried to attack him earlier," warned Rosalie.

"Yea," said Zach and Jasper laughed nervously.

"It was a test," defended Jasper. Alice began to whine.

"Esme, they are cheating. Just because they are on your team doesn't mean you should condone it," said Alice and Rosalie pretended to cough.

"Mama's girl," coughed Rosalie. Esme giggled and motioned for Tanya to come over to her.

"Enough you two, Tanya and I will round up our teams and just start over. No more cheating, from either side. Besides, now Edward and Bella are here to join us. Bella, Edward, you are on my team along with Carlisle, Zach, Emmett, Rosalie, Kate, and Garrett."

"Wow our team is stacked," giggled Bella and Renesmee playfully glared at her mother.

"Funny, that's what I thought when I saw my team, mom," said Renesmee and Jasper wrapped an arm proudly around his niece.

"That's right, Renesmee and I have Tanya, Nahuel, Benjamin, Zafrina, Keegan, Eleazar, Carmen, and of course my darlin' Alice, so like I already told Zach, never underestimate your opponent," warned Jasper and Zach smirked.

"Well this time I am not blindfolded or being lured into a false sense of security so I think we will be fine. Game on," bellowed Zach and everyone laughed as they took the field. Bella nudged Edward as he grabbed a bat and he saw Nahuel chasing Renesmee around the bases as she tried to keep his hat and glove away from him.

"I think she is just fine, love," whispered Edward and Bella tenderly kissed him.

"Yes, we all are," agreed Bella and with that, the storm roared on and so did their baseball game.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Zach shook his head in disbelief as Josh stuffed yet another hot dog into his mouth. The boys were leaving the theater in Port Angeles and Josh refused to let an opportunity to buy another hot dog go to waste.

"J, seriously how many of those things can you eat before you finally had enough? Shouldn't you be offended and disgusted by the name anyways?"

"Ha, ha, very funny but just because it is a hot dog doesn't mean I can't eat it. Thanks for coming to pick me up today. I really needed to get out of there, but I figured my mom would still keep me on punishment."

"Well I am sure it helped that my Aunt Alice assured your mom that you aced that presentation. Why did you have early release anyways?"

"Who cares," said Josh with a shrug as they exited the theater.

"Wow, you really hate that place now don't you?"

"I don't know. I mean it was fun at first, but my real life always manages to one up it. I like learning about history and enjoyed my advanced placement class, but it is nothing compared to hearing about it from your grandpa or Jasper or Garrett. Even Connell has some awesome Irish Rebellion stories. I used to like the girls, but come on, compared to vampire women, it is a no brainer. After a while, high school just stopped being a major part of my world. I can't be myself in it."

"Yea, that's true. I just…" Zach abruptly stopped as he picked up a scent and Josh began to smell it as well.

"What is that," questioned Josh and Zach gulped as they started to track the scent down the street.

"I am not sure, but I don't like it. It isn't very familiar to me."

"It is vampire, but….not," asked Josh.

"It smells faintly of vampire, but something else, something….I don't know, smoky?"

"You think a vamp was killed close to here?" Zach shook his head as the scent led them to the harbor. There were several boats and cargo ships anchored in the water, but no traces of a fire.

"If a vampire was burned to ash out here, we would see some type of charred marks or something," said Zach.

"Whatever it is, the scent is potent and fresh. Maybe you should call Alice," suggested Josh and Zach pulled out his phone. Both boys frowned even more when the phone did not ring.

"Huh, that's weird, usually she would see that I was about to call her and call me instead with an answer," said Zach as he dialed his phone. Alice immediately picked up.

"I didn't call because I don't have an answer for you. I don't know what you smell, but it must be nothing. You are in the middle of Port Angeles's industrial district. Plenty of things there smell like smoke."

"But Aunt Alice, something seems off. Even J can sense it. I can tell he is trying not to phase right now because he is shaking. We both sense danger."

"I am sure it is nothing or I would have seen it, but you two should get home just to be safe. We are staying in the old house outside of Forks while Bella, Renesmee, and Seth spend time with Charlie and Sue."

"I thought they were perfectly healthy. Is something wrong," asked Josh.

"No, they just realize what the rest of us have known for years. Time blurs by in the supernatural world, which means time is running out for them to be with Charlie and Sue. Everything is fine here and I am sure it is fine there. Just get home." Alice hung up and Zach scanned the area for signs of vampires or clues. His eyes zoned in a cargo ship offshore and he nudged Josh.

"Do you see that ship a few miles out with the Chinese lettering on it? It stands out compared to the others doesn't it," asked Zach and Josh nodded.

"The only one in a foreign language and Chinese of all things, what is it doing in Port Angeles?"

"I don't know, but let's get home before Aunt Alice worries our parents," suggested Zach.

"Sounds good, I can't afford to get into more trouble right now," agreed Josh.

Even though Zach never resided in the Cullen House in Forks for long, he still adored it because of the stories he was told. The house was full of many memories for the Cullens and he was happy that the family was going to spend a few days there. As soon as they arrived, Rosalie and Leah were outside on the porch. The boys hugged their mothers and chuckled.

"We are fine, so stop worrying about us," assured Josh, but it did not appease his mother.

"Alice says you tracked a scent that made you sense danger," said Leah as they walked into the living room where Alice, Jasper, Carlisle, and Esme were waiting for them, along with their fathers. Emmett ruffled his son's hair.

"Everything alright baby boy," asked Emmett and Zach shrugged.

"I am not sure. It all seems weird to me. Even Aunt Alice's response is off." Alice sighed.

"I am sorry but I don't see anything out of the ordinary. Your paths are on track. Josh is going to school tomorrow. You are going to ask to pick him up in his truck again and we are going to hunt tonight," said Alice.

"Where is everyone else," asked Josh.

"Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya are on their way back with Edward and Bella. The others are checking the area to see if they detect a weird scent like you two did. They couldn't find anything and are on their way back."

"Told you we should just drop it, Z. It is probably nothing," assured Josh and Zach hesitantly nodded. Esme hugged them both and kissed their cheeks.

"Besides the scent, did you two at least have fun in Port Angeles," asked Esme and Zach smiled lovingly at his grandmother.

"Of course grandma, the movie was great," said Zach. They heard Edward's car pull into the driveway and Edward eyed Zach and Josh as he entered the living room, immediately reading their minds.

"That is a weird scent, but if Alice says she can't see anything, maybe it truly is nothing," assured Edward as Bella, Renesmee, Nahuel, Seth, and Kaya joined them.

"What did you see," asked Seth and Zach closed his eyes as he rehashed the situation in his mind.

"We smelled it as we were heading to the parking lot. My first thought was vampire because there was a sweetness to the scent, but it was overpowered by the smell of smoke. We thought maybe a vampire was killed nearby. We tracked it to the harbor, saw a cargo ship, and then called Aunt Alice. Maybe it is nothing though, but Uncle Jasper said I need to trust my instincts more and I think it was something. J and I think something bad is happening in Port Angeles."

"Nomads roam through there all the time and Alice would see something if we needed to be concerned," assured Carlisle, but Alice's grimace caught Esme's attention.

"What is it, Alice," asked Esme.

"Well as much as I hate to admit it….."

"And we all know you hate to admit your flaws," grumbled Edward. Alice rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"We all know my visions can be tricky, especially when I don't know who is involved."

"So we should worry," questioned Jacob and Josh nodded.

"I think we should check it out. Zach and I smelled something that wasn't normal," agreed Josh and Leah eyed him suspiciously.

"Are you sure this just isn't a way for you to get out of going to school tomorrow? You already skipped once this week," questioned Leah and Josh scoffed.

"Oh come on mom, that's not fair. Something is up. The longer we tracked the scent, the more my instincts warned me of danger," defended Josh. Edward nodded.

"That cargo ship that you two saw does look out of place. Alice, I know you can't see anything, but it wouldn't hurt to call Marcus and Didyme so they could investigate it," suggested Edward. Suddenly, Alice stiffened as she was bombarded by a vision. Edward's eyes widened and he processed her thoughts as quickly as he could.

"Deciding to contact the Volturi triggered something. There is a vampire….well I think that it is a vampire. Carlisle, you should call them," informed Edward as Alice closed her eyes to focus on her visions. Carlisle immediately called Marcus to discuss the situation as the others talked amongst themselves.

"How did that trigger a vision? Alice was so sure that everything was fine when she told us the boys were coming back," asked Leah.

"I am not sure, but maybe it is because she can only focus on beings that she knows and is familiar with, she has to be able to track their path or their path has to cross with ours, but if she doesn't even know what she is tracking, it is next to impossible for her to do. She knows Marcus and Didyme and they know the being that Zach and Josh sensed, so she is tracking the futures of Marcus and Didyme now," explained Edward. Alice slowly nodded as she sifted through her visions.

"Marcus and Didyme will arrive momentarily," informed Alice.

"How are they going to be here so quickly," asked Esme, but before Alice or Edward could answer, Connell, Tia, Marcus, and Didyme appeared in the living room. Connell smiled mischievously at Alice.

"Hope I didn't scare you this time wee one," said Connell and Alice smirked at him.

"Marcus and Didyme had to make the decision to call and ask you for help, so you couldn't just pop up like usual. I saw you coming, thank you very much," answered Alice as Connell chuckled. Didyme smiled kindly at him.

"Thank you so much for bringing us. I hope we didn't interrupt anything for the two of you. We will be sure to repay you," assured Didyme, but Connell waved her off.

"After all that you have done for me, it is the least that I can do. Should I retrieve Alexander and Lena as well," asked Connell and Marcus nodded.

"They are in Hong Kong," said Marcus.

"What are they doing there," questioned Jasper and Marcus was silent. He and Didyme shared a look and Edward gulped at their thoughts.

"He tricked you? How is any of this possible," asked Edward in surprise and Marcus gritted his teeth.

"It must have been a decoy. Damn it," hissed Marcus and Didyme rubbed her mate's back soothingly to try to calm him down. Marcus was usually very reserved and seeing him so frustrated put the others on high alert. Connell disappeared and reappeared in seconds with Alexander and Lena.

"Anything else," asked Connell.

"No, but thank you," said Marcus and Connell bowed to him.

"Tia and I are heading back to Ireland. Call if you need us," said Connell.

"And tell Benjamin and Tanya we said hello," added Tia before she and Connell blinked out of the house. Benjamin and the rest of the Denalis entered the house and he frowned as he detected a scent in the living room.

"Yes Ben, Tia was here with Connell. They both say hello," informed Edward.

"We just saw them last week. Is everything alright," asked Benjamin and Edward glanced at Marcus.

"Tia and Connell are fine. It seems certain secrets within the vampire world may not be. What is happening in Hong Kong," asked Edward and Marcus huffed.

"Apparently nothing, it was all a setup to distract us. Every guard we have is in China as we speak," confessed Marcus.

"What is so important that it has the Volturi using all of its resources in such a way," asked Eleazar. Alexander looked over at Marcus and Didyme, silently asking permission to speak, which they granted with nods.

"A week ago, we received important information from a coven in China about a vampire named Feng. He and another nomad joined the coven for a few years before having a disagreement over their way of life and leaving. It seems for the past month, he has been on the move trying to execute his plan to enhance his wealth and influence exponentially. He does not seem to be after power nearly as much as he is after endless amounts of resources though. It has been brought to our attention that Feng is consorting with humans to gain those resources, that was part of the reason he was asked to leave the coven," explained Alexander.

"But vampires do that all the time, including us. We have mingled within the human world in order to gain an advantage, so we can live comfortably. It is not against any rules," said Jasper.

"True, but risking exposure is and the bottom feeders Feng consorts with are not just any humans. He has joined forces with organized crime bosses and drug lords so that he can tap into their business. To be honest, we still do not have much on him. He is extremely elusive, almost undetectable, and we are not quite sure how yet," said Alexander.

"What could he possibly have to offer crime bosses in turn for their help? Is he using his ability as a vampire," asked Eleazar and Lena shook her head.

"No, we do not believe they know that he is a vampire," said Lena.

"Then how is he risking exposure," asked Carmen. Marcus and Didyme glanced at each other again and he sighed as he pulled an empty vial from his pocket.

"I still cannot believe it is not a myth," mumbled Edward and Alice nodded in agreement as they gazed at the vial in awe. The others grew even more perplexed.

"What isn't a myth? It is just an empty bottle," asked Zach.

"Yes, what exactly are we looking at," questioned Carlisle.

"This, dear friend, is what we found in Hong Kong and while it is empty now, the contents of it used to be one of the rarest treasures in the entire existence of the world. Feng is not revealing what he is to humans. What he has done is something we never thought possible. He is offering them water from the Fountain of Youth," revealed Marcus. It took the others a moment to process what Marcus was saying and Eleazar's jaw dropped in utter shock.

"That is impossible. The fountain is simply a fable. I have heard the stories. No one was ever able to find it," said Eleazar and Emmett shook his head profusely.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let's back this up for a minute. Are you telling me that some vampire not only found a supernatural spring that creates eternal life, but that he is offering it up as a natural Botox to some of the most corrupt humans in the world," asked Emmett.

"Yes, that is exactly what we are saying. We have been tracking him for weeks and we thought we were catching up to him in Hong Kong," explained Lena.

"But I am still confused. I mean I have read about the fountain of youth and eternal springs, but only in mythology. I know vampires are supposed to be myths as well, but obviously I am not the only one confused in this room by its existence," said Bella. Tanya smirked.

"Oh trust me, I have been around for centuries and even I am shocked. How did no one ever find out about it," asked Tanya and Marcus sighed as he placed the empty vial back into his pocket.

"I was told about the Fountain of Youth thousands of years ago, but people were better off believing it was a myth. It made people crazed with the desire to find it. With that said, it was believed to have existed ages ago, but to have become extinct. It existed before my time, in a time when people were hell bent on finding it to the point of destroying each other in the process. Friends betrayed each other, even family members, all in order to find the water that could not only reverse the aging process, but bring it to a halt. As time passed, it was believed that the spring passed as well and it became a distant memory and simply a fable with various versions," explained Marcus. Carlisle sped upstairs to his study and reappeared with a worn book.

"Herodotus mentions a fountain containing a special kind of water in the land of Macrobians. It apparently is what gave Macrobians their exceptional longevity," explained Carlisle as he sifted through the pages.

"In the Amazons, we believed in the water of life as well. It was believed to have run dry after humans began polluting the earth," said Zafrina.

"I remember reading about Alexander the Great and his servant crossing the Land of Darkness in order to find the fountain," added Renesmee and Benjamin smiled.

"In Egypt, it was a pharaoh that supposedly ruled a land with a river of gold and fountain of youth," said Benjamin. Jasper chuckled.

"I guess every place makes up their own version to fit their history. In the sixteenth century, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida. What was he in search of," asked Jasper and Josh grinned.

"The fountain, see yet again I learned something here that I could never learn in school," said Josh and Didyme giggled.

"There have always been tales of the fountain. It does have its appeal, especially for humans. A spring that can reverse the aging process, it is the perfect treasure for those that fear their mortality," said Didyme and Bella slowly nodded as she thought of one of her favorite authors.

"Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18. I thought that was so uncanny when Mark Twain wrote that," said Bella and Garrett frowned in confusion.

"Alright so we have established there are a lot of stories about it, but I am confused. If this thing is real, then why are the stories, well….not," questioned Garrett.

"The fountain was believed to be destroyed. The earth shifted and morphed so much over the centuries that the fountain was buried somewhere beyond the reach of anyone searching for its treasure, or so we were told," said Marcus.

"That is why when we first heard the rumors around Hong Kong, Lena and I asked Marcus and Didyme about it. We started to do research and I must admit, we were lucky it brought us to China," confessed Alexander.

"Why," asked Josh.

"The history of China is recorded in ancient writings dating back thousands of years. The people believed in preserving their heritage and it provided us with the evidence we needed to realize that all of the stories were wrong and so were the explorers. It was never Florida or Egypt or any land they scoured for it. It was in China, but not just any part of China, Mount Juihua. It is one of the four sacred mountains of Chinese Buddhism. It is the perfect location as well. It is shrouded in dense landscapes and ancient temples," explained Alexander.

"Then how did Feng even find it," asked Rosalie and Lena gulped.

"Feng is not a regular vampire. He has a power that makes him extremely elusive, but also helps him get in and out of places no one else would be able to. He got into the mountain and found what was left of the spring," explained Lena.

"So can he manipulate the elements like I can," asked Benjamin, but Alexander shook his head.

"No, he is quite different from you Benjamin. Feng can transform into smoke. It allows him to seep in and out of places and be virtually undetected. That is why it has been so difficult to find him," explained Alexander. Zach nudged Josh.

"So that's why we smelled that weird smoke in Port Angeles. I knew it wasn't from a fire," said Zach and Lena walked over to the boys.

"Where exactly did you smell it," asked Lena.

"Zach smelled it first and we tracked it to the harbor. There was a cargo ship a few miles away. It had Chinese lettering on it," explained Josh and Marcus gritted his teeth.

"Hong Kong was a decoy. All of our guards are there as we speak because we were told he was planning to ship out all of the vials he has so that he can deliver them to his clients. He knew we were on to him and planted a fake cargo ship in the most obvious location. He is from Hong Kong. It was the logical location," said Marcus.

"So he managed to fill vials like the one you showed us with the water from the fountain," asked Jasper.

"Yes and a few have already been consumed. It is how he pays for the resources he acquires. He has people all over the world working for him and all have been rewarded with the water. A single drop can begin to reverse the aging process for years, but the amount in these vials can slow it down so that someone becomes virtually immortal. They are not as indestructible as us, but have the power to heal quickly," explained Marcus.

"You said it reverses the aging process, but by how much? Could a person become an infant, a teenager, what," asked Carlisle and Marcus chuckled.

"There is not an exact science, Carlisle. Until Feng showed up, we didn't even think it existed anymore, but I believe it varies by the individual. That is what can make it dangerous," explained Marcus.

"It is also dangerous because it puts our world at risk. Humans wouldn't just accept that there is some supernatural water out there. They would want to know about the source and how he got it. Plus, it would open their minds to possibilities they never imagined before," said Eleazar.

"How is that dangerous," asked Nahuel and Tanya slowly nodded as she began to understand the greater danger involved.

"Our existence is a myth to them, but humans are always close to knowing the truth. It lies right beneath the surface, but realizing that something they once believed was a myth is actually true, like the Fountain of Youth, would trigger them to question what else is out there and what other mythologies are real," said Tanya.

"Like vampires," agreed Josh and Tanya smiled at him.

"And wolves," she added.

"Sounds like we have to stop this guy," said Josh and Leah rolled her eyes at him.

"We don't have to do anything. Let the Volturi handle it," said Leah and Edward hid his smile as he read Alexander's thoughts.

"Actually Leah, we could use some help with this one," confessed Alexander and Josh high-fived Zach.

"I knew it! I knew there was a reason we picked up on that scent," exclaimed Josh and Leah smirked.

"Don't get your hopes up. You still have school in the morning. Alexander, why can't your guards handle this," asked Leah.

"They could if they weren't preoccupied halfway around the world. If Feng is as insane right now as I believe he is, he will not wait to move the cargo to Seattle. That is why he has a cargo ship in Port Angeles. He will start distributing in Seattle and move across the United States. Even if Connell were able to blink every guard here, by the time that happened and we devised a plan, it may be too late. This may be the only chance for us to catch Feng and confiscate the last remains of the fountain," said Alexander.

"But if Feng is all about being elusive, why would he even choose Washington out of every place in the world? He has to know our connection to it," questioned Renesmee and Jasper shook his head in disbelief.

"Because it truly is the perfect strategy for outthinking your opponent, hiding in the place they would least expect. No one in their right mind would be bold enough to do it, but it seems this vampire fooled the Volturi by doing the most irrational thing in their mind, setting up shop close to us," said Jasper.

"It is definitely irrational, which seems to be the only pattern Feng has. He acts so impulsively. That is why it is hard for me to track him in the first place. He never does what I think he will do. It is like he is a crazed man," explained Alexander and Eleazar gasped.

"It must be the curse," whispered Eleazar and all eyes were on him.

"What curse," asked Marcus.

"In some of the stories, the fountain would curse any greedy hands that dared to take more water than they truly needed. It was supposed to be a way for the fountain to protect itself," informed Eleazar.

"Wait, so curses are real too," asked Zach.

"If my theory is correct, then this one is. Curses existed thousands of years ago along with potions and ancient wonders of the world, just like the fountain. I believe most curses are myths now because they have become extinct along with those wonders," explained Eleazar and Rosalie groaned.

"Great, so we are dealing with a cursed vampire that is trying to expose the secrets of the supernatural world and he just so happens to be in Washington, perfect," said Rosalie.

"Seattle is also one of the best routes for him to take from Hong Kong. If his mission is to get the cargo ship to the states, the ship simply has to cross the Pacific Ocean to get here," informed Lena.

"And if my theory is right, then Feng is moving quickly because the curse is causing his state of mind to deteriorate. He will become increasingly anxious until he eventually becomes insane. He probably already thinks he is unstoppable," said Eleazar.

"Which is why he is such a threat, he has been spotted by humans, but luckily believed to be a ghost because he disappeared in the form of smoke. We believe he also has someone to do his bidding when he cannot, a female nomad by the name of Zan. That makes it even harder to track him. I think we have to move soon," said Alexander and Josh smiled smugly.

"Which means you need our help to catch him," added Josh and Leah smirked.

"Actually I don't think they need us at all. They have the rest of the family to help them, so we can just sit this one out. You have school in the morning," said Leah.

"Mom, you can't be serious. Dad, she can't be serious," exclaimed Josh and Jacob groaned.

"Can we talk about this later," asked Jacob, but Leah shook her head.

"What is there to even talk about," she challenged and Jacob rubbed his neck nervously.

"Leah, tomorrow is Friday. He would just miss one day."

"He already skipped once this week and we allowed him to be let off the hook with his punishment so he could go with Zach to Port Angeles and that is how we got into this mess in the first place," argued Leah. Alice cleared her throat to get their attention.

"May I just intervene for a moment? Leah, I understand that you want Josh to go to school so he can have the normal teenage experience..."

"Pretty sure that's what my dad figured I would get at Forks High School. So much for that," mumbled Bella and she smiled sheepishly as Leah glared at her.

"I think what Bella is trying to say is that the normal teenage experience isn't all it is cut out to be. Josh is a wolf. His best friend is a vampire. Maybe running around and experiencing the supernatural is the normal teenage experience for him," said Alice.

"He has to go to school, Alice. He is a junior in high school," argued Leah.

"And maybe missing on Friday will not be the end of the world for him," suggested Jacob and Leah glared at her husband.

"How can you say that," asked Leah and Jacob groaned.

"I really want to see the smoke guy," whined Jacob. Josh and Zach snickered behind their hands and Leah sighed.

"Fine, but if his grades suffer because of this…."

"I will take full responsibility," assured Jacob. Leah gave a curt and Josh pumped his fist. Jacob pulled his son aside.

"You aced that presentation right," whispered Jacob and Josh nodded profusely.

"My grades are great dad," assured Josh and Alexander cleared his throat.

"I hate to break up the family moment but there is a crazed vampire on the loose that is probably heading to Seattle as we speak with an entire supply of age defying water that will not only expose the myth of the Fountain of Youth, but the vampire world as well. Can we do this a little later," asked Alexander and Jacob gave him a thumbs up.

"We're good to go," assured Jacob and Edward turned to Alice.

"I know it is hard for you to pin him down in your visions, but do you have any idea of when that shipment will reach Seattle," asked Edward.

"I was able to focus on the cargo ship while everyone else was being caught up to speed. It is set to arrive in Seattle by midnight. If we leave soon, we can intercept it before it gets too far from Port Angeles," informed Alice.

"But how do we intercept a massive cargo ship and what do we do with the shipment once we do," asked Kate. Zach gasped.

"We could take it over like pirates," exclaimed Zach and Josh nodded happily, but their parents shook their heads.

"Not on my watch," said Rosalie and the boys began to pout. Keegan smiled mischievously and Edward did as well when he read his mind.

"I have a pretty explosive idea," said Keegan as he grinned at his mate and Alice clapped happily.

"Keegan, that works," commended Alice.

"What works," asked Garrett and Keegan rubbed his hands together.

"Forget a hostile takeover, let's just blow the thing up. All evidence would be destroyed in the process and Feng's whole operation goes up in smoke. No pun intended," explained Keegan and Marcus nodded in agreement.

"Destroying the rest of the vials is best. People were relieved when they thought the fountain had been ruined. It was too much of a temptation. We must destroy all the evidence and once we do that, the rest of the guards can handle Feng," agreed Marcus.

"But how are we going to explain an explosion on a ship? Those things tend to not just blow up randomly," asked Emmett and Lena giggled.

"Oh there are ways. We can plant some evidence and tinker with the machinery to make it seem like a mechanical issue. Keegan just has to make sure that explosion is enough to torch all the vials," said Lena.

"No problem and I am sure Ben can help me make sure it spreads quickly," assured Keegan.

"My pleasure," chuckled Benjamin. Didyme sighed in relief.

"Thank you for doing this. The fountain itself was meant to be a blessing, but the evil that men do for it changed all of that. It must be destroyed and left as a myth to the human world. We cannot allow Feng or anyone else to get their hands on that water," said Didyme and they all nodded in agreement. Edward smiled sympathetically at his sister as Alice rubbed her temples in frustration.

"I know you are having trouble tracking Feng, but it is alright. We have his shipment. You know he will be close by," assured Edward.

"It has to be the curse that is causing issues for me. It is making him highly impulsive and irrational. I know he plans on having the vials distributed by his workers tonight once they arrive because he has already decided that. I can pin down that much, but he isn't like a regular vampire. He isn't like any being I have ever encountered. I cannot track his path because the curse is making him unpredictable. Not even Zan knows what he is going to….wait. That's it! I am tracking the wrong person. I can't track Feng, but Zan is a different story," exclaimed Alice and she quickly sat down, closed her eyes, and concentrated on finding the threat.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zan glanced down at her watch as she stepped onto the cargo ship. Darkness had fallen over Port Angeles and fog crept through the town. It was nightfall and most of the townspeople were retiring into their homes to get away from the cold. She spotted the captain of the ship, a vampire she commissioned for the long voyage from China. He bowed his head in acknowledgement as she approached him.

"Where is Feng," she asked and he pointed toward the lower deck as their crimson eyes met.

"Down in the storage room, he has been obsessively counting the vials ever since he got here," he whispered and she gave a small nod before heading down the stairs into the storage room. She closed the door behind her and eyed three small crates as black smoke began to swirl around them. A smile crept onto her lips as she approached and waited patiently for Feng to appear. Slowly, but surely his black shoes materialized, followed by his black suit, his body, his face, and his slick, black hair was the last thing to reveal itself on the top of his head as smoke became man. He chuckled when he saw her and took off his sunglasses to reveal his black eyes.

"You have not hunted," she stated and he shrugged.

"Who needs a hunt when such an important shipment is about to depart?"

"You do. Did you count the vials to make sure they were all there?"

"Of course, one thousand nine hundred eighty two vials left," he answered as she pulled two more from her pocket.

"Eighty four, one for me to deliver when we get to Vancouver and one for you to deliver tonight," she corrected and he grinned as he placed the vial in his black dress coat pocket before sliding the jacket on.

"Aw yes, the one I promised for the Mayor of Port Angeles. She really was too kind for letting us anchor here without question. Maybe I will have her as a snack though."

"That wasn't part of the deal," warned Zan and he scoffed.

"Please, she is of no concern for us and like you said, I need to hunt."

"Killing the mayor of this town would cause a mess. Go for a hunt in town. Just don't kill someone that would obviously be missed."

"Since when do I take orders from you? I thought it was the other way around."

"We are best friends. We help each other, remember? Just like we have always done."

"Yes, I remember. You saved my life in Hong Kong and you are still looking out for me now. I appreciate that and I promise to repay you. We are so close to having everything we have ever wanted, everything we dreamt about as children. Once this shipment reaches Seattle, ten of the vials will be delivered there and the rest will be transported around the continent. Have you spoken with Falcone?"

"He assured me the payment would be in our account by sunrise."

"Easiest hundred million I have ever made," laughed Feng.

"Yes it is, but I still think we should have reconsidered our headquarters. Washington is the home of…."

"Not anymore, now it is our home and they are not our concern. Do not even think about them. I refuse to have this screwed up because the little woman picks up on our choices. You focus on getting the money and nothing else. Those animal feeders have no place in our business."

"What if they try to stop us," she questioned and his laugh became maniacal.

"Listen to you and your constant worrying. Nothing we are doing interferes with their lives. This is our destiny, Zan. We were meant to be attacked by nomads in China all those years ago. We were meant to be saved and turned by the coven. We were even meant to part ways with them because they could not see my vision of finding the fountain. I was meant to find this treasure and use it to my advantage. Why else would I have been given the ability to become smoke, to seep into the finest cracks, even into a mountain? I did not go through all of this just to shy away now.

"Seattle is the perfect location. It can be accessed by boat, we can drop the vials for our Canadian partners off with ease and then head to California, the land of the vain. Do you know how much money we will make there? So many of those people would love a chance to be young again. We are going to be rich, powerful, and invincible. It is the life I have always wanted." Zan frowned at his words and slowly shook her head as she noticed the crazed look in his eyes.

"You seem different. Are you sure you are feeling okay?"

"Better than okay, I have my vials, soon my money and nothing can stop me. Everything we have ever desired is right at our fingertips. Can't you feel it?" She slowly nodded.

"Of course Feng, I just…."

"Good, then call me from the harbor when the ship departs," he said as he straightened his jacket.

"And where are you going?"

"To see the mayor."

"Make sure she vows to keep the source of her newfound youth a secret," she called and he smirked.

"Oh trust me, she won't be telling anyone of our stay in Port Angeles. I think I need a little snack," he called over his shoulder before shimmering back into smoke and slithering away. Zan shook her head in disbelief. That was not her childhood friend or the man she stood by as a nomad. It was like he was possessed.

Alice blinked several times to focus back on the present. She was still in the living room of her old home and Jasper was right beside her, holding her hand. She rubbed her temples and groaned.

"I can follow Zan's paths, but not Feng's. He can't even decide if he is going to kill the mayor or not."

"The mayor of Port Angeles, that would cause quite a scene," said Jasper.

"He doesn't care and we need to get to him before he causes anymore damage. Even if he just gives her the water, how is the mayor going to explain away her appearance? The Volturi are right. He is dangerous. What he is doing is dangerous and if we don't stop him soon, he could get the entire vampire world exposed." Jasper pulled his mate into his arms, sensing her anxiety. Whether Feng was cursed or simply drunk with power was not the concern. Either way, he was a threat to them all.

Carlisle sat in his study with Esme as they waited patiently for the others to get ready to go. Plans were still being made and orders were being given to the rest of the Volturi about how to proceed. Marcus entered the study and took a seat on the sofa.

"I have good news. Didyme is speaking with Lena and Alexander. Connell was gracious enough to drop a handful of our guards off in Seattle so they could be there in case we are not successful and the shipment arrives. It seems the guards found Feng's future headquarters. A mob boss in Seattle, some Falcone fellow, has given up the information. He was promised a vial once it arrived and in turn would give Feng money and methods of shipping the vials wherever he needed them to go. He seemed to be obsessed with getting his vial. Unfortunately for him, that is no longer his concern."

"Did they kill him," asked Esme and Marcus nodded.

"It seems he did not leave us much choice. He was a bit too privy to their eye color and cold skin. The world is better off without him though. The man was a monster in his own right, a crime boss, drug lord. He ran the biggest human trafficking ring on the west coast. At least that is one positive from all of this. Maybe we can get rid of some of the evil in the human world in the process of cleaning up this mess and to think, all of this is happening because of small vials of water that can bring youth," said Marcus and Carlisle sighed.

"Yes well mortality can be daunting to some. Even those that accept it must deal with the despair it leaves behind," mumbled Carlisle and Esme squeezed her mate's hand reassuringly as he looked away.

"What is bothering the two of you? I assure you, Falcone was not worthy of your sympathy. The way he terrorized so many…."

"We are not concerned about a crime boss," assured Esme and Marcus waited patiently for one of them to continue.

"Esme and I are concerned about our family. I have seen many humans die, not only because I have lived for so long, but because I have experienced loss at the hospitals I worked for. However, Esme and I find ourselves torn as two lives that are connected to our family begin their descent toward the end," confessed Carlisle and Marcus slowly nodded as realization dawned on him.

"How are Charlie and Sue?"

"Healthy, but old," confessed Carlisle and Marcus chuckled.

"Old is such a subjective word. I do believe we all have them beaten," teased Marcus.

"True, but it does not change that they will perish soon and we will go on," said Esme.

"Aw yes, the truth we have to face even in our world of immortals. Time stops for no mortal, not even those with ties to our world. I am sure your family will take it hard, but you will persevere."

"We are worried mainly about Renesmee. She loves Charlie so much. They have a strong bond and coping with loss will be new for her," confessed Esme.

"Yes, but she has her family to help her, a family that is a constant in her life. When the time comes, Charlie and Sue will be greatly missed, but they will be at peace knowing that they lived full lives and their children and grandchildren will be taken care of. Renesmee will have people to lean on and if all of you are not enough, then you can always borrow my mate. She has a way of making people see the bright side of things," assured Marcus and they shared a smile. Alice knocked on the door with a hesitant smile of her own.

"Everyone is ready to go over the plan one more time before we leave. We need to depart soon," said Alice as she tried to brighten her smile, but Esme noticed her daughter's apprehension.

"Is everything alright Alice," questioned Esme as they followed her into the living room where the rest of the group was waiting for them. Edward pulled Alice into a comforting hug as he read her mind.

"Alice is worried because her vision of Feng did not appease her. She still cannot get a good read on him and while Zan, his partner, is easier to track, Feng's movements and decisions are too erratic," explained Edward.

"I saw him. I saw his power, but I am not sure how it works exactly. Is he elusive because he turns to smoke and can seep through any crack or is he hard to catch because he can disappear like Connell can? With Feng, I have far more questions than answers," confessed Alice and Jasper kissed his wife sweetly.

"It will be alright, darlin'. That's why we have a plan. Alexander, Lena, Marcus, and Didyme are going to head for Seattle to meet up with the rest of the guards to intercept Zan and Feng when they arrive. The rest of us will head to Port Angeles. Keegan and Benjamin will destroy the ship and we have already devised a plan to explain the explosion based on your visions. Garrett and Kate will handle that while the rest of us keep a lookout to make sure there are no prying human eyes. Once Feng and Zan are captured, Alexander will let us know," informed Jasper, but it did not stop Alice from rubbing her temples in frustration.

"And even with all of those decisions being made, I still cannot see Feng's path. It is like I am being blocked, stupid curse."

"He is possessed now. At this point, who knows if he is even aware of his own decisions? His path is blank because he has no choice in the matter anymore. Feng is cursed by the Fountain of Youth. His doom will come one way or another, but that is all that is certain," explained Eleazar.

"Great, so I am going blind against a cursed, possessed vampire with a power I am not sure I even understand, peachy," said Alice. Bella smiled sympathetically at her sister.

"This will be over soon enough. Let's get to Port Angeles and finish this. Renesmee and I promised Charlie we would go fishing with him tomorrow," said Bella. As soon as they stepped outside, an eeriness fell over the region. The fog was thick in the crisp, night air and the forest seemed quieter than usual. Marcus, Didyme, Alexander, and Lena headed for Seattle while the others waited for Josh, Jacob, Leah, and Seth to phase.

Cutting through the forest always made the trip to Port Angeles a short one and the town was full of the same eerie silence as Forks had been. The fog rolled over the water and Edward pointed toward the cargo ship in the distance.

"It is about ten miles out and just now leaving," said Edward and Keegan smiled mischievously.

"Good, that will make it easier to contain the explosion. I was worried about it reaching the shore. Ben and I can swim out there to get a closer look. I can ignite it from the water," said Keegan. Benjamin nodded in agreement and kissed Tanya before diving into the water. Zafrina pulled Keegan into her arms.

"Be careful," she whispered against his lips before capturing them in a passionate kiss.

"Don't worry, I will be," he assured and joined Benjamin in the water. The two of them made their way out toward the cargo ship as Edward looked around.

"I don't hear anything out of the ordinary. No one has seen us. Kate, Garrett, go ahead," said Edward and the two of them grabbed two waterproof, plastic bags before diving into the water, heading in the same direction as Benjamin and Keegan.

"Now what," asked Tanya and Emmett glanced down at his watch.

"We wait for the fireworks to start," said Emmett. Zach happily grinned over at his best friend.

"I can't believe we get to see Keegan blow up a ship," he whispered excitedly and Josh nudged him with his snout in response. Carlisle chuckled at their excitement.

"Come on, let's get out of the harbor. We are too visible here," said Carlisle and Jasper pointed toward a strip of the shore miles west of the harbor.

"That is where I told Kate, Garrett, Benjamin, and Keegan to meet us at. It is isolated. No humans are around there at this time of night and before you ask Zach, yes, we will still be able to see the explosion," explained Jasper. Zach pumped his fist and Jasper ruffled his hair as they all headed to the meeting grounds.

Feng pretended to take a sip from the glass of champagne the mayor gave him. The two of them were in the den of her home, sitting across from one another. The flames from the fireplace were the only sources of light in the room.

"To wealth, power, and eternal youth," she announced and Feng placed his glass on the coffee table.

"Do you have something for me," he asked and she handed him a small piece of paper.

"That is the name and address for the most influential man in Victoria. He knows everything about everything when it comes to shipments coming and going between Victoria and Port Angeles."

"I will keep that in mind. Thank you," said Feng as he tucked the piece of paper into the inside of his jacket and turned to leave.

"Don't you have something for me," asked the mayor as she stood up and he smiled sadistically at her as he turned back around.

"About that, I don't think our partnership is going to work out," he whispered menacingly as he took off his sunglasses to reveal his pitch black eyes. She stumbled backward and fell into her chair as terror consumed her. Feng stalked forward, but stopped when he sensed a presence coming his way. Zan raced into the room in a panic.

"You are interrupting my meal," he hissed, but Zan frantically shook her head.

"I saw Cullens and their pets down at the harbor. They are onto us," whispered Zan. She was taken aback by Feng's laugh.

"What could they possibly do to stop….." Before he could finish his question, a loud boom echoed outside followed by crackling and pops. Feng and Zan ran outside just in time to see fiery pieces of their cargo ship flutter from the air and plummet into the water in the distance.

"No," he shrieked and Zan covered her ears as the sound pierced them. It was a mixture of pain and rage, a sound so tormented and haunting that it revealed the level of insanity he truly had reached. Zan hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him, but he jerked away from her.

"You did this to me," he accused and her eyes widened in bewilderment.

"What are you talking about? I am the one that warned you about coming here in the first place."

"You wanted me to fail. You probably put them up to it!"

"I have been your best friend since the beginning. All I have ever wanted for you is happiness," she argued as his body shook with fury. Suddenly, he was stoic. His body relaxed and a twisted smile appeared on his lips as he gazed back out at the massive fire in the distance.

"You want my happiness?"

"Yes," she whispered as she took a step back from him. His state of lunacy transformed from concerning to horrifying. He calmly put on his sunglasses and straightened his jacket.

"I will be happy when they feel the same pain that I do right now. They ruined my dream, my entire goal in this existence. Maybe I can repay the favor." With that, he disappeared and she gulped, realizing for the first time that Feng was no longer in his right state of mind.

Alice laughed as she watched Zach and Emmett holler and ham it up as they cheered for the explosion. Jasper wrapped an arm around his mate proudly.

"We did it darlin'. We saved the day again, even with your visions out of whack," chuckled Jasper. When Alice did not respond and Edward tensed up, he knew something was wrong, but their feelings of sheer dread caught him off guard. He winced from the intensity of their emotions and Esme steadied him as she grabbed his shoulders.

"Jasper, Alice, Edward, someone tell us what is happening," demanded Esme. Edward sprinted away as fast as he could as Alice frantically motioned for the others to follow her.

"Charlie," she whispered in despair and Bella was in a dead sprint of her own with those words. Renesmee could vaguely hear Tanya say that she, Zafrina, Carmen, and Eleazar would wait for Kate, Garrett, Keegan, and Benjamin and meet them in Forks. Her ears seemed to be pounding as she ran as fast as she could through the forest. Trees blurred by in a sea of green, but it felt as if her legs could not move fast enough. Nahuel and Kaya were right by her side and she looked over her shoulder momentarily to see Seth, Jacob, and Leah pulling up the rear. The rest of her family was in front of her and her mind raced even faster than her feet did as she hoped that they made it in time.

Charlie looked at the clock in the kitchen of his home as he grabbed another beer from the refrigerator and spoke with his wife on the phone.

"Just focus on driving. You know I hate you being out so late. What took so long?"

"Sam wanted me to share stories about the legends of our tribe at the bonfire. I guess he figured I would be the perfect person, a former elder with a connection to the Cullens. He just wants to make sure that Caleb's influence didn't leave its mark on the pack, especially with the younger members that did not know the Cullens."

"Well former elder, hurry up and get home. I am about to put on a movie and I miss you….I think another call is coming in. I always forget how to switch over on this thing."

"I am sure it is just Bella or Renesmee checking up on you."

"I will call them back later. Maybe telling them about the will wasn't a good idea. Renesmee is acting as if I am terminal or something."

"She will be fine."

"Yea, you are right. I better go, I think I smell smoke. I probably am burning the popcorn," he said as he rushed over to the microwave and pulled out the bag of popcorn. Sue giggled.

"Charlie Swan's famous burnt popcorn, it is your specialty."

"Very funny, you just focus on not running over any mailboxes."

"Very funny back, love you, see you soon."

"Love you too," he chuckled before hanging up the phone and opening the bag. He frowned when the popcorn was perfectly popped, instead of the charred kernels he expected to find.

"You are lucky you got to say goodbye, not all of us have that luxury," called a voice behind him and Charlie spun around as popcorn scattered all over the floor. Black smoke gathered in the middle of the kitchen and Charlie's eyes widened when Feng appeared.

"What the hell," whispered Charlie and Feng laughed.

"Not exactly."

"Who are you?"

"An enemy of the Cullens, they have wronged me. They aren't the first and probably not the last, but revenge always makes me feel a bit better." Charlie gulped and Feng glanced over at the phone on the counter as it began to ring again. Charlie started to reach for it, but Feng raced over to grab it with ease.

"No need to answer that. It is just the psychic warning you of my arrival. You know in my culture, we are taught to respect our elders. It is a fundamental part to the honor code."

"Good, so that means you will leave and we can call it square," suggested Charlie and Feng laughed.

"You are a funny old man. I like that, but no. What it means is that I must grant you two things. One, I made sure you got to say goodbye to the one you loved. Two, you will get one free move. Putting up a fight is part of an honorable death, so your move Charlie Swan," informed Feng as he opened his arms, inviting him to do his worst. Feng was surprised when Charlie did not try to swing at him. Instead, he dove for the shotgun by the backdoor and unloaded on the vampire. Feng nodded with a smile at Charlie as he glanced down at the holes in his shirt that accumulated around his chest.

"Nicely done," commended Feng and with that, he sped across the room, picked up Charlie, and tossed him out the backdoor. Charlie landed on the ground with a thud and grimaced as Feng hovered over him.

"It is quite tragic really. You did nothing wrong, but must pay for their mistakes. You smell delicious as well, but unfortunately for you, they need to be able to watch you die." Charlie began to cough as Feng billowed into smoke and entered his nostrils and mouth. He could fill the smoke filling his lungs and body before it exited just as swiftly. Searing pain engulfed him as he lay limply on the ground and Feng stood over him for a moment, watching the color leave his cheeks and listening to his heart begin to slow. The sound of thunderous galloping caught his attention from one direction. The rapid pitter patter of feet came from the other and he smirked.

"That was fast," he chuckled and morphed back into smoke form just as a wolf emerged from the trees. Sam galloped over to Charlie and whimpered as he stood protectively over him. The rest of the pack sniffed the ground in hopes of picking up the scent of the vampire responsible.

"Charlie," screamed Edward as he ran over to his father-in-law and held his hand. Charlie smiled weakly.

"Guess that will was necessary after all," he wheezed before letting out a cough. Edward was bombarded with the thoughts of the wolves and Charlie, but suddenly another set of thoughts caught his attention. He looked onto the roof of the house as smoke gathered and Feng appeared.

"You're dead," growled Edward. Feng's only response was a smile as he saw more vampires headed his way. His body began to dissolve again as he turned into smoke and wafted away.

"Dad," cried Bella and Edward winced at the torturous sound of his mate's helpless sob. Renesmee crumbled by her grandfather's side. The others started to gather around, but Zach's eyes were trained on the smoke slithering into the forest. He glanced at his family before speeding toward the forest.

"Zach, don't," yelled Alice, but Zach did not hesitate. He could hear the yelling of his parents as they chased after him, demanding that he stop, but he refused. He was enraged and he could smell the dense trail of smoke. It was faster than he anticipated it would be and as the fog began to thicken the deeper he got into the forest, he was fearful that he would lose it. He urged his feet to go faster, to push him forward, but even he was surprised when he received a mysterious boost that made him surge forward in a way he never experienced before. He could no longer hear his family behind him. He was somehow going faster than them, but he dismissed any thoughts that did not include catching Feng. The trail stopped at the top of Mount Olympus in the middle of the forest and he shook with rage as he searched for Feng.

"Stand and fight, you coward," he shouted. The sound echoed through the forest, but there was no answer. Fog and snow swirled around him as he searched for signs of the vampire.

"Why am I not surprised that you would rather fight an old man than someone that can take you on? Come on Feng, I know you are here. Show yourself," he demanded and before he could react, he was engulfed by black smoke. He could not see anything, but blackness. He could not smell anything, but smoke. He fell to his knees and tried to swat at the clouds of black gas, but to no avail. He felt completely overwhelmed and suddenly, he could hear his uncle's voice in his head urging him to relax. Their training in the forest replayed in his mind and he closed his eyes, as if blindfolded.

"Use my senses to harness my power, come on Zach," he encouraged to himself in hopes of remaining calm. He had never felt so overpowered and helpless before, but he gained composure long enough to focus all his energy into his core as his Uncle Jasper and Eleazar's words echoed in his mind.

_Your power is not mental and it does not come from just one direction. It comes from within._

With that echoing loudly in his mind, he let out a guttural yell and used everything he had to pulse his force field away from him. It spread in every direction, bursting out of him with a force that surprised even him. When he opened his eyes, the smoke was gone and his vision returned. He made it to his feet and smiled victoriously when he saw Feng crumpled in a heap on the floor. The man looked tattered and one of his arms was dislocated, vicariously hanging from his body.

"Get up," growled Zach, but he was cautious as Feng laughed maniacally and stood up.

"We will finish this later," said Feng as he began to dissipate into smoke again.

"No," shrieked Zach, but before he could use his force field to stop Feng from escaping, Josh beat him to it. The wolf appeared from behind Feng and bit into his already injured shoulder. Feng yelled as he tried to get away from Josh. He managed to elude the wolf by shrugging out of his dress coat and jumping off of the mountain. Zach ran over to the side of the mountain and gritted his teeth in frustration when Feng waved tauntingly at him with his good arm. Feng's laughter ceased when he realized he was without his coat and he let out a roar when he noticed it still in Josh's mouth. Zach immediately noticed and grabbed the coat from his friend with a smug smile. He began to search it and smirked when he felt a pocket inside.

"Missing something," taunted Zach and Feng stepped toward the mountain again, but stopped when he saw other vampires headed his ways.

"This isn't over," said Feng as he began to evaporate and Zach nodded.

"Not by a long shot," he agreed. Their eyes locked in a vow to settle their battle soon, but Zach had to break eye contact when he felt someone slapping at his shoulders and back repeatedly. He shielded his head with his arms as his mother continued to slap him upside his head and he ducked. Emmett pulled his wife off of their son.

"Mom, I'm sorry, but…."

"We will deal with you later, young man. You could have gotten yourself killed! Come on, we have to get back to Charlie and Sue's," she informed and he solemnly nodded as he and Josh followed Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, and Leah back to Charlie and Sue's house.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Carlisle forced himself to block out the sobs and cries as he checked Charlie's vitals again. He could hear the man's heart slowly shutting down along with the rest of his body, but he refused to give up.

"Maybe if we get him to the hospital they could at least….."

"Feng looks like smoke, but he is far more poisonous when inhaled. He knew what he was doing and he made sure I knew that before he left," confessed Edward. Carlisle shook his head profusely.

"There has to be something I can do," said Carlisle as he looked around at the scene in front of him. Sue had just arrived and Seth phased back into human form to comfort his mother. Sam and his pack stayed in wolf form just in case Feng returned but their attention was solely on Charlie as they bowed their heads in defeat. Bella and Esme held Renesmee as she sobbed uncontrollably. Nahuel and Kaya stood side by side as they helplessly watched their mates cry over Charlie. The Denali Coven had just arrived. They were still as statues. Alice's eyes were tightly shut as she tried to process how things went so terribly wrong. Edward hovered over his mate and daughter as Bella held one of Charlie's hands and Sue held the other. Carlisle finally met Charlie's gaze.

"I am sorry," he whispered in defeat and Charlie gave a small smile.

"It's okay doc. We all can't live forever," wheezed Charlie, but Renesmee shook her head.

"But you shouldn't have to die like this, there has to be something we can do," cried Renesmee.

"Turn him," suggested Seth, but Charlie shook his head.

"And live forever as a seventy seven year old, what did I ever do to you kid," wheezed out Charlie as he tried to crack a smile. Sue giggled through her tears.

"Very funny," she said and Charlie winked at her.

"You said the first thing you fell in love with was my dry sense of humor."

"But definitely not the last," she reminded before kissing him. Charlie turned to look at Bella and Renesmee as they heard his heart slowing even more.

"I love you both. You know that right," he asked and they nodded as they hugged him. Edward nodded at Charlie's thoughts and reached out to shake his hand.

"I promise, I always will," assured Edward as he tried to be strong for his family and Charlie shook his hand weakly.

"You are a good man. I couldn't have asked for a better life for my daughter or a better man to take care of her," whispered Charlie. He began to cough profusely and Edward winced at the sight, but Alice's visions made him perk up.

"Zach, Alice, when Josh grabbed the…."

"I'm on it," shrieked Alice as she began sifting through her visions. Edward jumped to his feet and Bella looked at him curiously.

"Edward, what…."

"No time to explain," called Edward over his shoulder as he raced toward the edge of the lawn just as Zach arrived with Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Josh, Jacob, and Leah. Edward immediately grabbed the coat in his nephew's hand and nodded at his thoughts.

"I know, but it makes sense if he responded like that when he realized you had the…." Edward lost his train of thought as he found what he was searching for in the pockets of Feng's coat.

"Will it work," asked Rosalie as she stared at the vial of liquid in her brother's hand. Edward ran over to Alice and she frantically nodded.

"Just do it. It will work. Hurry, he is running out of time," she urged and Edward sprinted over to Charlie. He kneeled beside him and Bella gulped when she saw the vial in her mate's hand.

"Is that what I think it is," she questioned and Sue frowned.

"What is it," asked Sue and Edward helped Charlie sit up.

"Take this. It is from the Fountain of Youth. It will reverse the damage," assured Edward.

"It will do much more than that," mumbled Eleazar and Charlie hesitantly nodded. Edward uncorked the vial and handed it to Charlie. Alice smiled and sighed in relief as Charlie's decision to drink the water changed every path in her mind. Visions were transformed. Paths were crossed and uncrossed. She beamed with happiness as she, along with the others, watched Charlie's wrinkles disappear. The gray of his hair transitioned back to brown. His posture straightened and his waist slimmed. His muscles bulked and his body morphed back into the thirty eight year old version of himself. Sue gawked at her husband as he made his way to his feet and touched his chest.

"The pain is gone," said Charlie and his eyes widened when he heard his voice. Edward chuckled at his thoughts.

"Trust me, Charlie, you aren't a vampire. The process is much longer and far more painful," assured Edward.

"Then what the hell just happened? My voice….wait, this is my voice….but not my voice….I mean my younger voice…..I mean….what the hell just happened?" Bella and Renesmee hugged him as they laughed in relief.

"Dad, you are okay," cried Bella and Charlie huffed.

"Speak for yourself Bells, this isn't my body….well it is but….Doc, help me out here," whined Charlie and Carlisle smiled kindly at him.

"It is you, Charlie, but you from roughly forty years ago," explained Carlisle.

"So I am not a vampire," asked Charlie and Alice skipped over to him.

"No, you are something much better. You are young. That vial was full of water from the Fountain of Youth. Isn't this wonderful," squealed Alice as she happily clapped, but Charlie shook his head.

"Wait, Fountain of Youth….that is real? How…what….why am I….forget it. I give up. I need a beer," grumbled Charlie as he plopped down on the stairs of the porch and Sue cupped his face in her hands.

"The important thing is that you are safe," said Sue and he hugged her as he sighed in relief.

"That was a close call, huh," he chuckled and she nodded as tears filled her eyes again.

"Too close," she confessed. The others smiled as they watched the couple embrace and Garrett leaned over to whisper in Kate's ear.

"I hate to be the pessimist, but how is that going to work? He looks like he is in his thirties, she is in her seventies, and her clock hasn't stopped ticking even if his has," said Garrett and Kate shushed him. Edward and Alice smiled at each other as they heard the comment.

"We will handle that later, but first, we have business to take care of," said Alice as she pulled out her phone. Edward crossed his arms and gritted his teeth.

"This isn't business. Feng made this personal," assured Edward.

By midnight, Charlie and Sue's house was full of chatter and relief. Carlisle and Esme were explaining the chain of events to Charlie and Sue while the others tried to process everything that transpired that evening. Zach, however, was busy trying to figure out a way to appease his mother as he waited for her on the porch, along with Josh. Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, and Leah were whispering amongst themselves on the front lawn while their sons waited for them to address them. Josh sighed as he rested his chin on his hands.

"This feels a bit too familiar," grumbled Josh and Zach smirked.

"You are telling me. You would think they would be happy with us. We saved Charlie's life and yet somehow we are in trouble."

"Well technically I saved his life because if I wouldn't have grabbed that jacket from Feng, we never would have gotten the water."

"And if I wouldn't have kicked Feng's butt long enough to daze him so you could even get close to the jacket, you wouldn't have gotten the water," reminded Zach and Seth marched onto the porch to glare at both of them.

"It doesn't matter which one of you did what, it was stupid," scolded Seth and Zach guffawed as Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, and Leah turned to listen to what was being said.

"Big bro, the guy almost killed Charlie. I wasn't about to stand by and watch him get away."

"Look Z, I am happy that you saved Charlie and trust me, we all owe you both for that, but you can't just run off whenever you please. You have to think before you act and you weren't thinking about this entire family when you ran off like that. You had no clue what you were up against and contrary to what you think Zach, you are not indestructible!" Zach slowly nodded.

"I am sorry," conceded Zach.

"Me too," added Josh. Seth gave a curt nod and crossed his arms.

"Good, now Rose, Leah, get on them," announced Seth. Rosalie kissed his cheek and winked at him.

"I think you covered it, but Em and I do need a minute alone with our son," said Rosalie. Zach immediately grabbed Seth's leg as the others started to file inside.

"Don't leave me out here," he begged and Seth ruffled his hair.

"Good luck," teased Seth as he went inside. Josh saluted Zach.

"It was great knowing you, Z. I am sure my next best friend won't measure up," teased Josh before jogging into the house. Zach gulped as his parents sat beside him on the porch and he laughed nervously.

"It won't happen again," he tried, but was surprised when a sob escaped from his mother.

"I wish I could believe that," she sobbed and his eyes widened. He pulled her into his arms for a big embrace.

"Mom, please don't cry. I am sorry. Honest, I won't let it happen again," assured Zach, but Rosalie shook her head.

"Zach, I understand that you have an amazing power, but what concerns me is that you don't understand what would happen if I ever lost you," she confessed and Emmett nodded as he wrapped them both in his arms.

"Baby boy, what you did tonight was very brave, but you can't just dive into a dangerous situation like that. It is my fault, really. You are my son. I used to be the same way before I realized that I have a responsibility to you and your mother to make sure I am always around."

"You are right. I just got so angry when I saw Charlie on the ground like that. I wasn't thinking." Rosalie kissed his cheek.

"You did an amazing thing, baby boy. Just never let it happen again," she warned and he huffed.

"So what if someone is in danger again, especially a family member," asked Zach.

"He gets that from both of us, angel. We are fiercely protective of our family," reminded Emmett. Rosalie thought for a moment and smiled.

"Then you keep your head and if people are around to help, you get their help. If it is just you, then you follow your instincts and do what is best. Just always remember you have an entire family that would be devastated if we lost you," said Rosalie.

"More than devastated," added Esme as she walked onto the porch and Zach smiled sheepishly at her.

"Sorry grandma," he said and Esme kissed his forehead.

"You are a hero, Zach, but still my grandson and I need you safe at all times. Come on you three, we have much to discuss. After all, Feng is still out there," said Esme. They followed her into Charlie and Sue's living room where the others were talking. When Zach entered, they all stopped to look at him. He frowned.

"What did I do now," he whined and Edward chuckled.

"Jazz, it seems our nephew has no clue what he did tonight," said Edward.

"What are you talking about," asked Zach and Josh scoffed.

"That warp speed thing you did back in the forest, you totally left everyone in the dust, and everyone but me flat on their butts," laughed Josh.

"What," asked Zach and Jasper wrapped an arm proudly around his nephew.

"You must have tapped into more of your power without even realizing it. When you took off, your parents, Leah, Jake, Josh, and I followed you. We were right behind you and tracking Feng, when out of nowhere, you just took off at a speed faster than anything I have ever seen," said Jasper.

"Even faster than Uncle Edward," asked Zach.

"If their thoughts are correct, then much faster," said Edward and Zach beamed with happiness.

"Cool! I just remember needing to go faster and then I was. But if that is true, then J, how did you catch up to me before they did? You are fast for a wolf, but not that fast," questioned Zach.

"I was by your side when it happened and everyone else was behind you. That supersonic speed must pack quite the punch. It sent them all backwards like they were standing in front of a rocket thruster or something. Luckily, I didn't get hit by it. I couldn't leave my best friend alone to fight that guy." Zach's eyes widened in shock.

"I am so sorry. Did I hurt anyone," asked Zach and Leah shook her head.

"It was more of a surprise than anything else," assured Leah. Zach sighed in relief.

"I guess you are right, Uncle Jasper. My power is growing. When I caught up with Feng, he ambushed me. I didn't even see it coming and the next thing I knew I was being consumed by smoke. I wanted to panic, but I did what you taught me. I closed my eyes, cleared my head, and just focused on harnessing my power. Thanks for always training me," said Zach and Alice sighed happily as Jasper and Zach hugged.

"I wish I had my camera. Okay, we have to focus now. Charlie is safe and so is Sue, but Feng is going to try again. It doesn't take a psychic to know that. I might not be able to follow his path, but he is completely out of his mind. We have to stop him," said Alice.

"But how, we already destroyed the remains of the fountain, so we have no leverage to lure him in and he has a unique power. Getting to Feng seems impossible," said Garrett and Alice smiled slyly.

"Difficult, but not impossible, we will just have to work together. It helps that the Volturi managed to keep up their end of the deal. The vampires on board the cargo ship jumped off once the fire started. They headed toward Seattle and the Volturi found them. They managed to find a few other things along the way. Feng isn't just some random threat to the vampire world anymore. He attacked our family. It is time we put an end to this. This stops by daybreak," assured Alice. She marched out of the room and the others looked around the room in confusion. Edward chuckled.

"Sorry, everyone, she is a bit peeved. She holds herself responsible for Feng even getting to Charlie without her knowing it. She does have a plan though, a great one. Feng messed with the wrong psychic," explained Edward before going after his sister. Jasper smiled smugly.

"He most certainly did. We all know my darlin' can be one frightening little monster," he assured and everyone else nodded in agreement, knowing that Alice was on a mission to end Feng.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sue tossed and turned one more time before giving up hope on getting any type of sleep. Dim, blue light was already pouring into her bedroom and she looked over at Charlie sleeping peacefully. She crept out of bed and pulled on her robe before heading downstairs. She giggled when she saw Seth fast asleep on the couch in the living room. She quietly turned off the television and placed another blanket over him before entering the kitchen. She was surprised to see Kaya sitting at the kitchen table with a mug in her hands.

"Couldn't sleep," asked Kaya and Sue shook her head.

"My mind is racing," confessed Sue.

"How about a cup of tea?" Sue nodded and Kaya grabbed another mug from the cupboard. Sue sat down at the table and Kaya placed the tea kettle and mug in front of her.

"Thank you. What are you doing up? Seth doesn't seem to have a problem sleeping right now," giggled Sue.

"Keeping an eye on things just like the others are. Nahuel and Renesmee are up on the roof. Zafrina and Keegan are scanning the forest and I am making sure nothing gets passed any of them. We stayed behind instead of going to Seattle with the others because we wanted to keep you and Charlie safe and that is exactly what we plan to do. Your son, however, can sleep through pretty much anything. Keegan and Zafrina told us to get some sleep, but he is the only one that has been able to."

"His father was that way. Harry could fall asleep anywhere and stay asleep through anything. Wow, I almost forgot that. It seems my memory must be going in my old age. I guess Charlie doesn't have to worry about such things anymore." Kaya nodded her understanding as Sue took a sip from her mug.

"You are worried about the age difference now," stated Kaya.

"Age difference? He is virtually immortal now. Carlisle explained it to us last night. Charlie will look this way forever. He will never age and I am still the same."

"It doesn't change how much he loves you. I can tell by the way he looks at you, even after he drank the water."

"I know he loves me and I know he will stay with me until the end. I also know what it is like to be left behind when someone you love dies. I don't want that for him, especially not for eternity."

"I will find a way to die with you if that is the case." Sue turned to see Charlie leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen entrance and Kaya excused herself. Charlie pulled a chair over to Sue and laced his fingers with hers.

"Look, I know a lot has happened in the past few hours and we haven't had a chance to process everything, but this is going to work out."

"Charlie, I just don't see how it can. We held the meeting with the family because we wanted to make sure they were prepared. Maybe now I should make sure you are."

"No."

"Charlie….."

"No. I don't know what is going to happen okay? I am not very good with understanding the supernatural, especially things I thought were myths. Vampires and wolves, I can come around to, but curses and fountains with eternal youth are a bit much for me. Maybe I shouldn't have even drunk from that vial."

"Don't say that."

"It is true. I would have died but…."

"I couldn't have handled that," she confessed and he frowned in confusion.

"But we talked about this. With my age and not always eating the best, it would have made sense for me to go first."

"And I tried to be accepting of that, but the truth is, the moment I saw you on the ground, I realized that I couldn't handle losing another husband. I loved Harry so much, but I never imagined finding love as intense as my love is for you. I am relieved that you took the vial. I just don't know where we go from here," confessed Sue as tears filled her eyes and he pulled her into his arms.

"Look, we have a doctor and a psychic and a mind reader and a shield. Hell, we even have a firestarter, plus people that have lived for centuries, so I am pretty sure that we can pull all of our resources together to figure this thing out. Whether that means reversing it or figuring out a loophole to the whole eternal life thing, I don't know, but I do know one thing. Sue, I don't want any of it if it means I can't be with you."

"Then I guess we will just have to wait and see," she conceded and he nodded as he held his wife close to him.

Feng began to pace as he concentrated on every tick of his watch. The warehouse he and Zan chose for their headquarters in Seattle was completely empty, which surprised him. He was supposed to meet Zan there at daybreak and he smiled when she walked in.

"Finally, where have you been," he questioned and she looked down.

"Cleaning up your mess."

"My mess? The Cullens are the ones that created a mess," he shouted and she slowly shook her head.

"I thought discovering the eternal spring would bring you peace, but it did the opposite. I am so sorry Feng."

"Do not apologize. The Cullens are the ones that will be sorry. You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do," she confessed and he eyed her cautiously as she stepped away from him. Before Feng could register what was happening, Connell blinked in and out of the warehouse, dropping off vampires as he did. Within seconds, Feng was surrounded and he looked on in horror at Zan.

"How could you," he asked and she looked down.

"This isn't what we planned. None of it is. You are obsessed, Feng. Please see reason," she urged. He looked around the room and let out a low growl. Marcus, Didyme, Alexander, Lena, and five of their best guards were on one side of the warehouse. Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Alice, and Jasper appeared on another side while Rosalie, Emmett, Jacob, Leah, Josh, Kate, Garrett, Carmen, Eleazar, and Tanya spread out to surround the vampire. Jacob, Leah, and Josh were not in wolf form, but were on high alert to phase if necessary. Alice smiled smugly at Feng.

"Surprise," she said and he smirked.

"Alice Cullen, I am guessing this is your doing?" She shrugged.

"I had some help," assured Alice and Marcus took a step forward.

"Feng, you are formally charged with breaking the most sacred rule of our world. What do you have to say for yourself," asked Marcus. Feng began to shake with mirth and Marcus frowned at the response as the vampire started laughing hysterically.

"Wait, you think that anyone in this room can stop me? It took the entire Volturi to try to track me down and even then, they still needed help from their ever so heroic Cullens. You bring dishonor to the name Volturi. You cannot even clean up your own messes, but that is okay. I have an eternity to make all of your lives miserable." Carlisle stepped forward.

"You are under the spell of the fountain. The curse can be broken if you want it to be. Your greed has been mostly undone. You simply have to embrace a new start," said Carlisle, but Feng shook his head.

"I will never embrace anything you have to offer, Carlisle Cullen. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be leaving."

"I don't think so. We are putting a stop to this right now," said Alice.

"You and what army," taunted Feng and Alice sighed happily.

"I was hoping you would say that. Connell, now," she declared and Connell appeared with Zach and Benjamin. Feng eyed them carefully as he smiled at Zach.

"I suppose you are here to finish what we started. This time I will not be distracted enough to let your pup blindside me."

"Missing your jacket yet," taunted Zach and Feng glared at him.

"You have something that belongs to me. Give it back," declared Feng and Zach shrugged.

"Oh you mean that water? Sorry, but it is all gone. Don't worry. It is being put to good use though," assured Zach. Feng shook with rage and Alice looked over at Eleazar.

"Can you get a read on him," asked Alice and Eleazar nodded.

"He can blink like Connell, but not nearly as fast. That is how he got to Charlie so quickly."

"What about Benjamin," asked Alice.

"Smoke will fall under the category of wind in his case," assured Eleazar. Alice winked at Connell, Benjamin, and Zach.

"Work together," she encouraged and Connell grinned mischievously.

"Oh it has been far too long since I have been in a good fight," said Connell. Feng smirked at them.

"You three really think you can take me on," he challenged and Benjamin crossed his arms.

"Only one way to find out," said Benjamin. Feng took a step toward them, but Connell put up his hands.

"Wait, sorry, one last thing, my apologies, I almost forgot," he announced before disappearing. He reappeared with Tia and Benjamin threw his hands up in exasperation as Tia jogged over to join Tanya.

"Seriously, that's what you stopped a battle for," asked Benjamin and Connell waved him off.

"We hadn't even started yet. Besides, she came to cheer on her mate just like Tanya is doing," defended Connell. Benjamin shook his head and Feng pretended to yawn out of boredom.

"Are you three ready now or should we postpone this until you have a better strategy," asked Feng. Zach smiled slyly at him.

"Oh I think our strategy will be just fine. Let's do this," announced Zach and he quickly threw his force field at Feng. The vampire morphed into smoke and out of the way so that the force field missed him. Benjamin winked at Zach.

"My turn," said Benjamin and Zach chuckled as Benjamin used his power to stop Feng from swirling around the warehouse. With Benjamin's ability to manipulate the elements, he was able to use the element of wind to knock Feng to the ground. Feng's eyes widened in shock when he reappeared in vampire form and Zach took the opportunity to blast him with his force field. Feng crashed into a concrete wall and gritted his teeth. He made it to his feet and began to morph back into smoke again, but Connell was too fast for him.

Connell disappeared from beside Benjamin and Zach and reappeared by Feng. The sound of Connell's fist connecting with Feng's jaw sent a cracking noise through the air and Feng fell to the floor. He glared at all three men and Zach quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Had enough," asked Zach, but Feng shook his head.

"Just getting started, now I know what you can do." He attempted to morph again, but Connell stopped him by punching him in the stomach. However, Feng was prepared and fought back this time. He swept Connell's legs from underneath him and tried to stomp on his face, but Connell blinked out again. Feng spun around just in time to take the brunt of another force field and he crumbled into the ground. Instead of turning into smoke, he evaporated into thin air and reappeared behind Benjamin.

"Ben, look out," called Tanya, but Connell already intercepted Feng. He landed an uppercut and Feng flew backwards. Zach boosted him even farther and Feng morphed into smoke before he could collide with another wall. Benjamin pulled the smoke over to them by manipulating the wind and Feng managed to evaporate just in time to dodge Connell's roundhouse kick. Everyone looked around, but Feng was gone and Alexander growled in frustration.

"Don't tell me we lost him again," said Alexander, but Alice's laugh put him at ease.

"Oh Alexander, come now, do you really think I would let that happen? They were just having some fun with him, but you are right. It is time to wrap this up. We have other things to worry about. Connell, Ben, Zach, finish this please so we can go home," urged Alice. Connell, Zach, and Benjamin smiled at each other as Connell disappeared with the two of them. Suddenly, Connell reappeared with Feng, Zach, and Benjamin. Connell delivered a head-butt to Feng and Zach followed it up with a pulse of his force field, causing Feng to be hurled backwards. Feng was stubborn though and raced forward. He immersed them in his smoke, but Benjamin quickly turned the table on him. He turned the smoke into a tornado and sent it toward another wall. The concrete crumbled and Feng did as well. The vampire lay defeated in a heap and Zach used his power to summon him. He lifted Feng through the air and over to Lena. She was poised at his throat instantly and Didyme sighed.

"Surrender and maybe we can find a way for you to make amends," suggested Didyme, but Feng simply laughed maniacally. Marcus gave a curt nod and within seconds, the laughing stopped. Lena beheaded him and the rest of the guards made quick work of his body while Alexander started a fire. When the billows of purple smoke, not black, filled the air, they all sighed in relief and Alice smiled sweetly at her family.

"Alright, time to wrap this up," said Alice in her usually cheerful way and Emmett let out a low whistle.

"I don't know what is scarier. The fact that baby boy, Connell, and Ben can be so powerful together or that it was Alice's idea," said Emmett and Alice shrugged.

"No one messes with my family and gets away with it. He could have cost us Charlie and that will just not do. Speaking of which, Zan, do you have something for me," asked Alice. Zan profusely nodded and Alice skipped over to her. She squealed happily when Zan handed her the vial and Carlisle's eyes widened.

"I thought we destroyed all of it," said Carlisle and Alice shook her head.

"Zan was supposed to give this one to an arms' dealer in Vancouver. I think we have a better use for it. Marcus, Didyme, I formally vouch for Zan and ask that you show her mercy. Feng was her best friend. She wanted to help him because of her loyalty, but never expected for any of this to happen," explained Alice and Didyme smiled sympathetically at Zan.

"We understand and we are sorry you had to watch his demise," said Didyme.

"That was my choice. The man that was killed here today was not my best friend. He was a maniac that needed to be stopped. My best friend died when he discovered that fountain. I am glad it is over and the water from the fountain is gone forever." She left and Alice handed the vial to Leah.

"I figured you would like to give Sue the good news," said Alice and Leah hugged her.

"Let's hope she accepts," said Leah. Alice winked at Connell and he disappeared with Leah, Jacob, and Josh. Bella hugged Alice happily.

"You are amazing, Alice Cullen," said Bella and Alice hugged her tightly, knowing that everything was going to be okay.

By the time the rest of the family returned to Charlie and Sue's house, Sue was sitting at the table with Leah, Seth, and Charlie as she stared at the vial. Edward hid his smile as he read Sue and Charlie's thoughts.

"So, that's it. There was one vial left and you managed to get it for me," questioned Sue and Seth grinned.

"Pretty much, you know Alice is a miracle worker," said Seth. Charlie frowned and turned to Carlisle.

"There aren't any side effects to this stuff, right? I was dying so it wasn't really an issue, but Sue is perfectly healthy," asked Charlie and Carlisle smiled warmly at him.

"It isn't an exact science, but you don't have to worry. You know we wouldn't let her take it if we thought it would harm her," assured Carlisle. Charlie slipped his hands into his wife's.

"Now, Sue, if you don't want to take it, I completely understand. There is no need to…" Before he could finish his sentence, she gulped down the water.

"Rush," he finished and Leah and Seth beamed with happiness as the water started to take its effect. The gray in Sue's hair disappeared. It was replaced with its original black color and silky texture. Her wrinkles dissipated and body adjusted. Charlie gulped as he watched his wife transform back into a younger version of herself and she smiled at him.

"So, how do I look," she questioned and he ran a hand through her hair as he looked on in awe.

"Like the woman I fell in love with. You are so beautiful. You always have been." He passionately kissed her and Bella, Seth, and Leah cringed.

"Okay, time to go," said Seth. Renesmee crinkled up her nose but giggled as Josh pretended to gag. Alice smiled at their reactions.

"There is much to do, but I am sure Charlie and Sue would like time to adjust. I have never been as happy to say it as I am now, but let's head home," she announced, but suddenly gasped and Edward chuckled.

"You are losing your touch, Alice," he teased and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shut up, it is all Feng's fault for messing with my visions. Anyways, Zach, go ahead and tell us what you have decided. I, for one, think it is a great idea!" Rosalie and Emmett looked at their son curiously and he shook his head.

"I am not really sure if I want to do it or how it would work. Plus, I haven't even asked my parents if…."

"It will be fine. Announce your big surprise for your best friend," encouraged Alice and Zach sighed.

"Fine, well mom, dad, J has been struggling a bit with feeling like he belongs at school and I figured maybe since I am already established as the homeschooled kid from Alaska, I could join him his senior year," revealed Zach and Josh jumped on him in excitement.

"Z that would be awesome! Oh man, we would run that school! That would be perfect! It would make next year go by so much faster," shrieked Josh and Zach chuckled.

"Cool it J. I have to make sure my parents will even let me first." Everyone looked at Rosalie and Emmett. They shared a look and she turned to Emmett.

"Em," she asked and Emmett guffawed.

"So let me get this straight, baby boy, you want us to enroll you in Forks High School," asked Emmett and Zach nodded.

"Not right away. I know we would have to get our story straight and figure out the living situation, but yea. I think it would be intriguing. I am not exactly excited, but intrigued. Besides, J needs a friend there that he can confide in and if that means I have to suffer through high school for a year, so be it."

"I am fine with it if your mom is," said Emmett and Rosalie glanced at Leah who was looking pleadingly at her.

"Rose, I know what you are thinking. Zach would be surrounded by girls and humans and in a situation he has never truly experienced before, but Josh really has been struggling this year to cope with feeling like an outsider. It would be great if his best friend was with him for his senior year. I know there would be some things that we would have to figure out, but it could work," said Leah and Jacob nodded in agreement.

"It would be nice for Josh to have someone to talk to," agreed Jacob and Rosalie groaned.

"I thought we were done with the high school thing," she whined, but her admission made Josh jump on Zach in excitement all over again. Carlisle winked at his daughter and kissed her cheek.

"One more time wouldn't hurt and at least you wouldn't have to go through it. Unless of course you and Emmett would like to enroll with….." Rosalie interrupted her father.

"Oh no, I am not doing that again and I most certainly do not want to watch little teenage girls fall all over my son. That weird factor would just be too much."

"Agreed," said Emmett. Bella smiled slyly at her daughter.

"You know, you never did get the high school experience. If you feel like you have regrets or missed out on something, you could always join them," suggested Bella and Renesmee stared blankly at her.

"No regrets, no thanks," said Renesmee before pulling Nahuel out of the house so they could get out of dodge and Bella winked at Edward.

"I saw that one coming," said Edward and Bella laughed. Josh could not contain his excitement and was bouncing around in a very Alice-like manner.

"Dude, we have to go clothes shopping for you! Oh and this will only work if our schedules match up. It would totally defeat the purpose if we never even have a class together. It will suck living around here, but don't worry, you will get used to it so…."

"Oh, no, no, no I never said anything about giving up the island. I am willing to sacrifice a year of my eternal existence for you, but I am putting my foot down when it comes to not living on the island," declared Zach. Carlisle kissed his wife adoringly.

"It has been a while since the old house has been redecorated. Maybe that could be a project for you, my love. Sam also tells me that there is a new hospital in La Push. I am sure my services could be used there for a while if we wanted to keep busy," suggested Carlisle and Zach started to whine.

"Don't give him any ideas, grandpa. I like the island," whined Zach and Carlisle ruffled his hair.

"The island is not going anywhere, but we have plenty of time to decide," assured Carlisle. Garrett rubbed his hands together.

"Well if you boys ever need your good ole Uncle Garrett to sign you out so you can play hooky, just let me know." Zach scoffed.

"Last time we barely got out of there because that secretary couldn't stop looking at your rugged ponytail," teased Zach and Josh shook with mirth as he thought about Garrett's discomfort while at Forks High School. Kate quirked an eyebrow at her mate.

"Oh really," she challenged and Garrett playfully glared at Zach.

"Alice never spilled the beans about that," said Garrett and Zach smiled sheepishly. Alice jutted her chin out and nodded.

"I didn't think it was my place," she informed and everyone in the room looked at her as if she grew two heads. Keegan shook his head and grabbed Zafrina's hand.

"Right Alice, because you just have so many lines that you won't cross when it comes to meddling. Come on Zafrina, let's go for a hunt before we head back to Alaska. I love the bears here," said Keegan and Zafrina happily walked out with her mate. Alice stomped her foot.

"Don't you take that tone with me, Keegan," called Alice as she followed them out of the house. Everyone, but Charlie and Sue began to take their leave. Bella and Edward hung behind for a moment to speak with the couple and Bella hugged her dad again.

"I am so happy that everything has worked out and you know we will figure out the semantics later. Alice is already on it," assured Bella.

"Yea well, she better fill us in soon because I have lived in this town for far too long for people not to notice that I look like the Chief Swan they once knew."

"Don't worry, Charlie, if necessary, you can always stay on the island with us. Carlisle seems excited at the prospect of being in Washington again for a while and with Zach and Josh being in school together here, I am pretty sure Forks and La Push are about to get very interesting," informed Edward.

"Then we better get out while we can," teased Sue.

"Renesmee and I still want that fishing trip, dad. Just because you have eternity now doesn't mean we aren't serious about spending more time together." Charlie kissed his daughter's forehead.

"You have yourself a deal," agreed Charlie. Sue and Charlie headed inside to get some rest and Edward followed Bella into the forest so they could hunt. Instead of running like usual, they walked hand in hand, simply enjoying the serenity of the Olympic Forest. Bella suddenly stopped and giggled as she thought about the past twenty four hours.

"My father and Sue are immortal now and not just any type of immortals but part of the rare few beings in this world that can honestly say they got to sip from the Fountain of Youth. I am a bit jealous."

"Yes, it does seem quite bizarre, but amazing all at the same time. I can definitely see the appeal of the fountain. They get to exist as humans with the same functions they always have, but never worry about aging. They can eat what they want, do what they want. No wonder the fountain was supposed to remain a secret. I am sure a lot of people would have loved to drink from it."

"Well, I might not have gotten a fountain of youth, but I most certainly got an amazing existence as well and it is all because of you. You know that right? None of this would be possible, if you didn't love me so much," said Bella as she wrapped her arms around him and he leaned his forehead against hers.

"I do believe you had a bit of say in that."

"I prefer to think of it as us being destined to be mates."

"Destined, I like that. Besides, it makes sense. Look how many amazing things have happened to us because we found one another. It is all a chain reaction of events that are connected and depend on each other in order for all of this to come true. We chose to be together, but I like to think that destiny was on our side," he agreed before tenderly kissing her. She put her shield down, allowing him to hear her thoughts and the things she planned on doing with her mate during their time in the forest. Edward pulled away when he heard someone in the distance and sighed.

"Hold that thought, love. Sam needs to speak with us," he informed and Bella frowned in confusion as she followed her mate toward the edge of the forest. Sam was leaning against his truck on the side of the road as he waited for them.

"Alice told me if I waited here, you would hear my thoughts clear enough. Can we talk," asked Sam.

"Of course, but I do not see the need. There shouldn't be any problems with the treaty even if some of the family moves back to Forks," said Edward and Bella smirked.

"News sure does travel fast," said Bella.

"Josh is a bit excited and I overheard him when I was driving past Leah and Jake's. I was going to call Carlisle, but Alice called and said you could relay the message. I am thinking about stepping down and giving the pack to Drew. He was the beta in Caleb's pack and I know that he will have Daniel and Braden to help him out. I am just not so sure now that such a huge move is being made."

"What does our family moving back here have to do with you? We can come and go as we please," said Bella and Sam sighed.

"Of course you can, but let's not pretend like the amount of vampires in the area does not affect the pack."

"Well in that case, you really have nothing to worry about because we have been in and out of this area since Jake and Leah moved back to La Push. Between us and the Denalis, not to mention the occasional Volturi guard, the pack should be desensitized by now," informed Bella and Edward grinned crookedly.

"She does have a point, Sam." Sam slowly nodded and sighed.

"You are right and I apologize if I am coming off as moody. It has just been a long few hours. Hearing about Charlie and then a cursed fountain of youth and then I hear that you might be back and….I don't know. I am just tired I suppose," confessed Sam.

"Sam, I want you to know that I am well aware of the stress that you have been under. You never wanted another pack, but Caleb's issues changed that. Thank you for doing the right thing and thank you for coming to Charlie's aid with the pack." Sam looked down.

"Even though we were too late," he mumbled and Bella smiled sympathetically at him.

"I know that must have been hard for you, to see him like that. It was hard on all of us," said Bella.

"I guess I just didn't expect to take it that hard. Don't get me wrong, I never want anything to happen to Charlie, but I didn't expect to feel so helpless. I am really happy he is okay, Bella."

"Thanks Sam and just so you know, I personally think that it would be great for the pack to mingle more with us," said Bella and Sam chuckled.

"Surprise, surprise, Bella believes the wolves and vampires should bond," teased Sam.

"I am serious. The more they are around us, the more they will see that whatever Caleb told them in the past was a lie and I think Zach would be perfect to show that. His relationship with Josh shows that wolves and vampires can not only coexist, but be great friends."

"You and Jake have done a pretty good job of that as well," said Sam.

"True, but we had our growing pains."

"Very true, maybe that is why I am nervous. Think about it. Yes, wolves and vampires can get along, but in my experience, when you get a whole lot of wolves and vampires together, things can get interesting."

"But all of that is in the past and maybe it is time to let Drew take over to show that we have all come a long way," suggested Edward.

"You are right. I just need some sleep and to relax. Thanks for the talk and just so you know, whether Cullens move into the area or not, I am happy about the bonds we have created. We truly have come a long way since the first treaty was agreed upon." Sam and Edward shook hands and then Bella kissed Sam's cheek. He turned to leave and Edward chuckled at his thoughts as Sam remembered something.

"Oh by the way, nice touch with pinning the explosion on the mayor of Port Angeles and exposing the locations of all those crime bosses, it is all over the news. The mayor has been corrupt for so long. It is nice to see her finally get some justice and for more criminals to be put away." Edward winked at him.

"Alice figured it would be a great way to kill a few birds with one stone. It helps that the mayor was helping a drug ring smuggle narcotics into town anyways, so we just made sure Kate and Garrett planted evidence of her making threats against any cargo ships she believed to be taking business away from her. I am sure the police appreciated the list left behind of all the crime bosses that could be involved as well."

"One blown up ship later and you got yourself a political scandal and huge drug bust. Like I said, nice touch," said Sam as he hopped into his truck. They watched him drive away and Bella looked curiously at her mate.

"Do you think he has a point? Should we be worried about Zach starting school in Forks?"

"No, but I understand his concern. Caleb made it very clear to the pack that we are the enemy and not all of the members were lucky enough to have fathers that knew better. Sam has done a great job revealing the truth though."

"But he is right. Even after Jacob and Renesmee settled everything, Caleb came along and almost started a war. The pack attacked Seth. If we did come back to the area, what would that mean for the next generation of wolves?"

"Alice seems to think Zach's decision will be a good thing. In fact, she is excited about it. I think it will be great as well. I haven't been around the new pack much, but they seem to be more open than Caleb made them out to be. They were following orders before. Now it is different and if more wolves phase, I am sure Drew, Daniel, and Braden will do right by them. It will be fine. I even think it will be fun…well for us. I hope my dear sister is ready because I have a sneaking suspicion that Zach and Josh at Forks High School together are going to be a handful." Bella ran a hand through her mate's bronze hair and winked at him.

"Oh Edward, you don't need to be a psychic to know that," she laughed and he chuckled as they walked hand in hand through the forest.

AN: There you have it! I hope you enjoyed it and feel free to leave a review, message, or even a follow on twitter. Also, for all the readers out there wondering about Zach's mate and when he will find her, I have a challenge for you! Since so many of you are interested and seem to have ideas about who and when it should happen, review, message, or tweet me with your idea and why you think it should be in the story. If it works within the story, you may actually see it in a future addition of The Choice Series. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the year and Happy Holidays!

~Emmettroselover


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